Through Their Eyes
by MusicalLife17
Summary: Growing up in a house full of guys is hard. Being the only girl in the gang is harder. Melody Curtis knows how this feels. Follow her journey with her three brothers and their friends as they live through the battle that has become their everyday lives.
1. Melody Curtis

**AN: Hey this is my First Outsiders fic! Just to clear up some stuff, this is set before the events in the book/movie and Soda and Melody are 16. So it's my story, then a bit of random stuff and then the events that are in the book/movie will follow later on, so that will be set later so for example in the story/movie Ponyboy is 14 will in this he will be 15, ok? Ok enjoy my story!... And please review; I need help with this one :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Outsiders; I only own Melody and the plot so far. I will write another AN when the story changes to the story. Every other character (except Andrew Greene and maybe a few others.) belongs to SE Hinton.**

"Mel Come on, get out of bed!" yelled Ponyboy from the kitchen. He got no reply and Darry was getting frustrated.

"Melody get out of bed!" he shouted. He looked at his watch. Hopefully he wasn't going to be late for work.

"Don't you need to go to work Darry?" Melody yelled. Darry sighed.

"She's right, I gotta go. I'll be back later tonight." he said goodbye to the gang and left.

Everyone had gathered in the Curtis' house just like most mornings. Ponyboy, Sodapop and Johnny were sitting at the kitchen table, Two-Bit sat on the countertop and Steve was raiding the icebox as usual. They were all waiting for Soda's twin sister, Melody to get out of bed.

"Mel, come on girl, Get you're ass out of bed!" yelled Steve. Still no reply.

"Well I tried." he said, giving up.

"Someone's gotta go get her up." said Soda. Two-Bit jumped off the bench.

"I'll do it!" he said, walking into Melody's room. Everyone smiled. They knew Two-Bit was the one of the only people who could get her out of bed. They had been best friends since…well forever. So everyone was talking amongst themselves when suddenly they heard a loud thump.

"TWO-BIT MATTHEWS YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!"

They then saw Two-Bit running for his life into the kitchen, only to have Melody jump on his back and tackle him to the floor. Everyone was laughing so hard that Soda fell off his chair and landed with a thud on the ground.

"Say Uncle!" demanded Melody.

"Never!" said Two-Bit. She twisted his arm tighter around his back.

"Say it!"

"Alright, Alright Uncle…UNCLE!" he shouted. Melody laughed but stopped when Two-Bit shoved her off him. Everyone was trying to recover from their laughter. Soda tried getting back on the chair but failed and fell back to the ground.

"Man…wha…what…did…you…do?" asked Johnny in between laughs.

"That Moron turned my mattress over didn't he!" said Melody, rubbing her back.

"Hey we all tried getting you up before." said Steve, putting his hands up in mock defense.

"Yeah, Well…" said Melody, sitting on Soda's lap. he wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a hug.

"Hey Steve pass us some of that cake." said Ponyboy.

"Comin' right up!" said Steve sticking his head back into the icebox. He emerged with a plate.

"Steve we better head off man." said Soda. He got up and kissed Melody on the cheek.

"See you round lunchtime." he said.

"See Ya's later. Hey Pony, you and Johnny want a lift?" asked Steve with a mouth full of chocolate cake.

"Yeah Sure." said Pony.

"See ya later." yelled Melody.

"Hey can I hang here for a while?" asked Two-Bit.

"Sure, I don't start my shift till lunchtime." said Melody. Two-Bit grabbed himself a beer and another slice of cake and sat in front of the TV watching Mickey Mouse.

"Is that really what you plan to do all day?" asked Melody. "Sitting in front of my TV all day watching cartoons with beer and cake?" Two-Bit looked at her with an innocent face.

"What else might you suggest?" he asked.

"Oh I don't know…get a job!?" suggested Melody. "You know earn some money. Cash is good. You should try it sometime." Two-Bit pretended to think about it.

"Nah, you know me babe, I ain't one for working. It would ruin my rep. And why buy, when I could just lift everything?" he said, sipping his beer. Melody walked over and slapped him in the back of the head.

"Moron." she muttered. Two-Bit laughed.

"Yeah but I'm your moron!" he yelled

"Whatever." she mumbled.

"You know you love me!" he shouted before getting back to his cartoons.

Melody just shook her head and went to do the dishes. She pulled her long brown hair into a ponytail and turned on the taps. Two-Bit was right. She did love him, more than anything. Two-Bit was one of those guys that you love to have around.

It was true, he was a complete jackass but he was her best friend, had been for as long as they both could remember. Two-bit had a natural talent for turning a serious situation funny. He also was a legend at lifting things without being noticed. He once walked out with half a shop because the guy at the register was watching a football game. His prized possession was a black-handled switchblade that he swiped a while ago.

He was 2 years older that her so he was like her annoying older brother who always had your best interests at heart. All the guys were like family. Even if that does sound too cheesy for a gang of tough-as-nails greasers, but it was true. When their parents died, the Curtis kids didn't think they would cope. But everyone was there and they helped build everything back up. They were lucky that everyone got on so well.

Melody's older brother Darrel, or Darry as he was most often called, was given legal guardianship of Soda, Melody and Ponyboy when their parents died. Darry worked too much and didn't have enough fun in his life. He had given up his dreams of college and his own life to resign to work and run a household at the age of 20. The gang often called him "Superman" or "Muscles" on account of his physique. Steve once made the mistake of calling him 'all Brawn and no Brains.' Darry almost shattered his jaw after that.

The Youngest Curtis, Ponyboy, was the dreamer. That kid had a real future ahead of him. Melody and Ponyboy got on so well because of a number of reasons. Pony was one of the smartest kids around; he was even put up a year in school. He loved to read and go to the movies a lot. He was a very artistic person.

Sodapop was a real good-looking guy. Often referred to having 'Movie-Star looks'. Soda had dropped out of school after the accident to help with the family's money situation. He worked at the DX gas station full time. Unlike most of the gang, or any greaser for that matter, Soda never drank because honestly he didn't need it. Ponyboy said that he naturally gets high on life.

Soda and Melody were typical twins. They were the best of friends and always did things together. Technically Soda was eleven and a half minutes older than Melody and he never let her forget it.

Steve Randle was Soda's best friend and worked down at the DX with him. The two of them and Melody get called the three musketeers. Not many of the gang ever really had a good home life but Steve's old man kicked him out at least once a week, telling him never to come back. Which was fine by Steve, just gave him the excuse to hang around the Curtis' house more.

Johnny Cade was the gangs pet and Ponyboy's best friend. Johnny looked like a little lost puppy that had been kicked one too many times. He was the silent 16 year old who was always getting beat up by his parents. Johnny hardly ever talked to anyone about it except Ponyboy, Melody and Dally. Apart from Ponyboy, Melody was probably Johnny's closest friend. They often spent time together. Melody was like the older sister that Johnny never had but always wanted.

Dallas Winston was a true greaser who moved to Tulsa from New York. Dally never liked doing anything the legal way and was famous down at the police station. He had a record at least a mile long and Melody often joked that he had his own storage cabinet. Apart from Two-Bit, Dally was Melody's closest friend. Even though he was one of the toughest hood's around, he would do anything for his friends. Especially Melody.

Sure they weren't the most clean cut kids around. They were from the wrong side of town. They weren't rich or have much of anything for that matter. But they did have each other. They were a gang and gangs gotta stick together.

Melody quickly snapped out of it before she got too worked up over it all. Her mind had a habit of running away on her sometimes. Two-Bit came into the room and picked up some of the suds and played with them like a little kid. Melody took a look at him.

"You know you've got something on you're face." she said.

"Where?" asked Two-Bit, as he wiped his face desperately with his hands. Melody laughed and grabbed some suds and splattered them all over his face.

"Right there!" she laughed. That was war. Two-Bit grabbed a handful of soapy water and splashed it all over Melody. That continued back and forth for a good fifteen minutes before they heard something in the living room.

"Anyone home?" asked a familiar voice. Melody dropped the spatula she was washing into the water.

"Dally?" she whispered. She raced into the living room to see Dallas Winston standing there in the doorway grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Oh My God Dally!" she cried, running into his open arms. He picked her up and spun her around into a hug.

"Hey kiddo, lookin' good!" he said, looking her up and down teasingly.

"When did you get outta the cooler?" Melody asked.

"This mornin'. It's amazing what good behavior can do." he laughed sarcastically.

"You, Good Behavior. Whatever." Melody joked. Dally pulled one of his signature grins.

"Geez kiddo I thought _you_, of all people, would be happy to see Me." he joked, looking sad and turned towards the door. Melody playfully slapped him.

"Shut up. It really is good to have you back. Missed seeing your ugly mug around here." smiled Melody. Just then Two-Bit finally stopped playing in the suds and came in.

"Hey, hey Dally ol' pal. Good to see you." he said, patting him on the pack. Dally looked at the soap on Two-Bit's Mickey Mouse t-shirt.

"I don't wanna know man." he laughed as he went over and sat on the couch with his feet up on the coffee table. Two-Bit and Melody smiled at each other before he went back to Mickey and she went back to the dishes.

"So what's been happening here while I was away?" asked Dal. Melody finished up with dishes and came and sat down on the couch. She flicked Dally with the dishrag to get his feet off the table.

"Not much really. Same-old, same-old." shrugged Melody. She threw the rag at Two-Bit.

"Admit it Curtis, i'm the life of the party around here." smirked Dal.

"Sure, because we our lives can't function without the presence the great Dallas Winston." said Melody sarcastically.

"Damn straight!" agreed Dal. Melody rolled her eyes as the phone rang. Two-Bit managed to pry his eyes away from the TV screen to get up and answer it.

"Hello?" he said.

"Yeah, hold up. Mel its Soda." said Two-bit handing her the phone.

"Hey …you serious…well yeah I guess…how much...ok see ya."

"What's up?" asked Dal.

"They need me to come into work early." sighed Melody. She put the phone back and went to her room to get ready.

Mel came back about five minutes later dressed in her work clothes.

"I better get going." she said. "You guys can hang out here or whatever you want but i'm serious don't break anything." she warned.

"I'll walk with you if you want." offered Dal. Melody smiled and nodded.

"I'll come by round lunchtime." said Two-Bit.

"Ok." said Mel. She waved goodbye to Two-Bit before she and Dal left the house.


	2. Cars, Twins and Blue Spaghetti

"So nothing exciting has happened since I left?" wondered Dal as they walked along the streets to the DX. Mel shook her head.

"As I said before, nothing much has changed. Darry's been working harder than ever. Soda's still at the DX, along with Steve. Ponyboy's acing the track team at school. Johnny's ok, still putting up with shit from his folk's though." said Mel. Dally shook his head. Nobody deserved to put up with that.

"Two-Bit's his usual self and me, I'm just plain old Me." smiled Mel. Dal grinned.

"Should have known, nothing good happens in Tulsa. Except the occasional fight." he said. They were quiet for a bit after that. Mel looked at her feet as they walked, kicking a stone across the pavement.

"So does Sylvia know you're back?" she wondered.

"Nah. thought I would come and surprise you first." he smiled, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. They continued to talk for a while, when a shiny red mustang drove up slowly beside them.

Dally tightened his grip on Mel's shoulders. They were only a few feet away from the DX now; hopefully they would leave them alone soon.

As they walked up to the DX they turned around and saw the mustang keep going down the street. Mel let out her breath. She honestly didn't realize she was holding it in. Steve saw them through the window and came over.

"Glad you could get here so fast. Soda's stuck inside doing paperwork and I'm working on the Masters' car and now we got another one lined up. I need you to get started right now." he said. Mel smiled and nodded.

"I'll catch up with you guys later." said Dally as he turned and walked away. Steve pointed over to a red T-bird that was waiting in the shop.

"The owner's were taking their kids out for the day when it started backfiring. They said they were going to come back around lunchtime." he said.

"OK I'll see what I can do." said Mel. She walked past the window to the office and waved to her brother before making her way to the garage.

After a good hour spent working on the car, Mel finally had it fixed. Just as she was wiping the oil and grease off her hands a young couple and two small children walked up the driveway.

"Hi. Is it ok if we leave the kids here while we sort out the car?" asked the mother.

"Sure thing." smiled Melody. So the parent went inside to sort out the business end of things with Soda while the kids sat with Mel. She found out that their names were Connie and Michael and they were seven years old.

"I'm guessing that you both are twins right?" wondered Mel. The kids nodded their heads enthusiastically.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" asked Connie.

"I do. I have a twin brother just like you, named Sodapop; he's inside with your mommy and daddy. I also have an older brother Darry and a little brother Ponyboy." explained Mel. At this stage Mel realized it must be lunchtime because she saw Two-Bit coming up the drive.

"Hey Mel, what's going on." asked Two-Bit.

"Nothing just hanging out with Connie and Michael here. Guys this is Two-Bit." introduced Mel.

After about fifteen minutes the parents came back out with Soda to find their children laughing and having fun with Melody and Two-Bit. They waved goodbye to the twins and left in their newly restored car.

"They were pretty cool kids." said Mel. Steve grabbed four Pepsi's from the machine and handed them around.

"They seemed to like you a lot Mel. I reckon you'd make a pretty awesome mom one day." said Soda.

"Yeah, but honestly, who needs kids when I got the seven of you to look after!" joked Mel.

After a long day of work, Steve and the twins finally finished everything that needed to be done. The three of them were walking home. Well two of them were actually; Soda had hoisted Melody onto his back and was carrying her.

"Thank god it's Sunday tomorrow." said Steve.

"Tell me about it." said Mel as she rested her head on Soda's back

"What are you talking about, you didn't get out of bed until like nine this morning." said Soda.

"And you're point being?" wondered Mel. Soda didn't push it any further. He was too tired to argue.

The Curtis twins said goodbye to Steve as they made their way through their front gate. When they were inside Darry was reading the paper in his chair and Ponyboy was reading.

"Hey how was your day?" asked Darry. Soda put Melody down on the floor and sat on the couch.

"Busy. But Mel made some new friends." said Soda.

"Shut up. They were a couple of the customers kids that they asked me to look after for a few minutes." said Mel.

"Soda it's you turns to cook dinner." said Darry. Soda smiled and got off the couch.

"I was thinking…" he started.

"Blue spaghetti." finished Mel. Soda smiled and went to the kitchen.

"I hate it when you two use your freaky twin mind powers." said Ponyboy.

Mel just smiled and got up, went to her room and closed the door behind her. She grabbed her father's old guitar from beside her bed and started strumming it absentmindedly. She had always had a deep love for music, just like their parents. They used called her their 'little Melody'.

She remembered some nights when they were little, their dad would put on records and they'd dance around and have fun. Even Darry joined in. Soda always pretended to be Elvis. He'd jump on a table and mime the words to every song. Then they would dance and jump around together.

Once again Melody's mind ran away from her. Ever since her parents died it had been happening a lot. Just small flashes of memories of them as a family would race through her mind.

She quickly snapped out of it when she heard her name being called out for dinner. She shook her thoughts away before placing the guitar down on the bed and going to join her brothers at the table.

After dinner Ponyboy was sitting out on the deck watching the sunset. His eyes didn't move when he heard the screen door open or close, or when he felt someone sit beside him.

"Sure is beautiful ain't it?" said Mel.

"Yeah." agreed Ponyboy.

"You remember that poem I told you about?" wondered Mel.

"Oh yeah." said Ponyboy.

"_Nature's first green is gold,_ _Her hardest hue to hold._  
_Her early leaf's a flower;_ _But only so an hour._  
_Then leaf subsides to leaf._ _So Eden sank to grief,_  
_So dawn goes down to day._ _Nothing gold can stay__._"

"I wonder what he meant by that." said Melody.

"Yeah, me too."


	3. Never Again

Morning came too quickly for Melody. She was hoping that she could squeeze in a few extra hours of sleep. But once she was awake, she decided to get up and make the other's breakfast.

Once in the kitchen, Mel raided the cupboards to find something to make. She decided on making chocolate chip pancakes for the guys. it was close to eight o'clock and knowing them, as soon as they could smell it they would be out of bed in an instant. So she made some coffee for Darry and set to work making the pancake mix.

Ponyboy was the next one up. Just like Mel predicted, he could smell the pancakes cooking from all the way in the room he and Soda shared. He sleepily walked out into the kitchen and grabbed the chocolate milk out of the refrigerator along with two glasses. Upon pouring a glass for Melody and himself, he took a seat at the table.

Darry was up and ready for work when he came out of his room.

"Smells good Mel." he complemented as he made his coffee. Mel took drank her milk as she flipped the pancakes over again.

"Soda, get out of bed!" she yelled.

"I'm comin', I'm comin." he yawned as he finally entered the room. He took a seat along with his brothers as Mel put a plate of steaming hot pancakes in the middle of the table.

"Aren't you having any Mel?" wondered Ponyboy.

"Yeah, but I gotta make more." said Mel. She looked at the clock and counted quietly to herself.

"Three…two…one…"

"Morning everybody!" said Steve as he came in the door.

"Right on time." said Soda. He glanced around. "Where's Two-Bit?"

"Passed out on your couch." explained Steve. Mel looked into the darkness of the living room and sure enough, her best friend was lying there passed out.

"This is gonna be a fun day." Mel laughed.

"Pony, would you be a doll and got open the living room curtains for me?" she asked ever-so-sweetly. Ponyboy smiled and got off his chair and tore open the curtains as fast as he could.

"ARGH WHAT THE HELL!?" screamed Two-Bit. The kitchen erupted in laughter once again as Two-Bit swaggered into the kitchen.

"Bit too much to drink last night Two-Bit?" wondered Soda.

"Ha, ha, you're a riot. Mel that wasn't funny." sulked Two-Bit. Mel walked over and gave him and Steve some breakfast.

"Think back to this time yesterday morning." she said. "Consider it payback."

"Fair enough." said Two-Bit with a mouthful of pancake.

"Hey Darry, is it ok if me and Johnny go to the movies today?" wondered Ponyboy.

"Sure, but be back before dark." said Darry. He finished his coffee then got up out of his chair.

"I gotta get to work. I'll be back later since i'm on dinner duty tonight." he said.

"I thought I was?" said Mel.

"Yeah but you got up and made breakfast. You can get out of it tonight." smiled Darry as he left the house.

"Hey Soda, Evie called this morning. She and Sandy wanted to go out today." said Steve.

"Sure." said Soda. He got up and went to get ready. Steve got up and followed him back to his room.

"Two-Bit you look terrible, go get some sleep in my room." offered Melody.

"Thanks." said Two-Bit as he went into her room.

"Pony I'm going to have a shower and get changed can you do the dishes?" wondered Mel.

"Sure." said Ponyboy. He rolled up his sleeves and began to wash the dishes.

When Mel got to her room Two-Bit was already passed out on her bed. She just laughed silently to herself as she grabbed her clothes and headed into the bathroom.

Ponyboy finished the dishes and tidied up the house a bit as Mel came out of the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel.

"What time were you meeting Johnny?" she asked. Pony looked at the clock. it was about quarter to 12

"He should be here pretty soon, I just gotta have a shower and get ready." said Ponyboy. Mel nodded and continued to dry her hair. She peeked through a crack in her door to check on Two-Bit but he was still fast asleep. As she closed the door Johnny came in.

"Hey Melody." he said.

"Hey Johnnycake. How you been?" wondered Mel. Johnny shrugged his shoulders and sat on the couch.

"I'm alright." he said.

"Pony's just in the shower, he wont be long." smiled Mel.

"Thanks." said Johnny, a small hint of a smile forming on his lips. At that moment Dally decided to make an entrance.

"Hey Dal." said Johnny. Dal sat down next to him on the couch.

"Hey kid, is Mel here?" wondered Dal.

"In here." yelled Melody from the kitchen. Dally walked into the kitchen and saw Melody putting the dishes away.

"Hey. What's up?" she asked. Dal just leaned against the doorframe and said nothing. Mel took her head out of the cupboard and looked at him.

"Dal, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Do you wanna grab something to eat?" he asked. Mel was a bit confused but the tone of his voice but agreed.

"Pony, I'm heading out. You and Johnny have fun. I'll see you later." she yelled out.

"OK!" yelled Ponyboy from the bathroom. Dally and Mel walked outside. He must have been at Buck Merrill's last night because his beat-up T-Bird was parked outside.

They both got inside the car and Dal sped off down the street.

They rode the entire way in silence, which was unusual because they usually had _something _to talk about.

They pulled up outside the Dingo but stayed in the car. Melody knew that something was up; this wasn't the Dally she knew.

"Ok Winston cut the crap. What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked. She didn't get an answer. this was really starting to worry her.

"What's wrong Dal?" Melody asked. He just stayed there with his hands on the steering wheel, a hard, focused look on his face. Melody put her arm around his shoulder. As soon as she did this his face softened.

"Dal, you know you can tell me anything." said Melody. Dal closed his eyes and sighed. His head rested on the steering wheel.

"I found out that Sylvia was two-timing me when I was in jail." Dal said. The tone of his voice was a mixture of hurt and anger. It was only then, that Melody noticed that Dally had his ring back on his finger. Although she never really liked Sylvia, she put up with her for Dal's sake. She knew that this would happen, but she would never tell Dally that.

"God Dal I'm so sorry." she said.

"It's not your fault. I should've expected it." said Dal. Melody tried to think of something to say.

"Well you still got me." joked Melody. Dal chuckled slightly.

"Thanks kid." he said. He ran his fingers through his hair.

"You're the only girl for me now. I'm never gonna fall in love again." admitted Dal. "Come on let's get something to eat."

Dallas walked around to the side of the car and opened Melody's door for her. Something he would only do for her. Melody took his hand and Dal slammed the car door closed with his foot then wrapped his arm around his best friend's shoulders before smiling at her. Melody smiled back trying to hide the fact that her heart had just been ripped into shreds.


	4. Feelings put to Paper

Melody sat at the table, with her chocolate milkshake, moving the straw from side-to-side. She watched as Dally was polishing off his burger.

"God, people would have thought you hadn't eaten in a week." she laughed. He just shrugged his shoulders and continues to eat. Mel shook her head and continued to play with the straw.

"So what exactly happened to Two-Bit last night?" wondered Mel. Dal grinned as he recollected the thought.

"Challenged Buck to a drinking contest." he said.

"Fair enough." smiled Mel. The two finished up and left the Dingo. Melody was silent as Dal told her about the fight he got into with Tim Sheppard at the party last night, but she wasn't listening. She stared out the window, mumbling the occasional 'yeah' or something. Inside her mind she was thinking about what Dally had said earlier.

The truth was that Melody loved Dally. There was no denying it. He was her best friend and she had always loved him, but since she was about 13 she realized that she felt something stronger. But she would just have to take that secret to the grave. There was no way in hell that she could tell the guys, especially Dally himself. She was just this stupid little sixteen year old kid that he put up with and got along well with. Nothing more. But that was fine. Melody would rather have him in her life as her friend than nothing at all.

"…I think he broke It." finished Dal. Melody had no clue as to what he was talking about but she didn't care. They pulled up outside her house before she had to make any conversation.

"I gotta go get this piece of junk back to Buck." said Dal as he shut off the engine. Mel smiled and went to get out of the car but a hand stopped her. She spun around and looked at him.

"Thanks fro today kid. I always know I can talk to you." said Dal softly.

"Absolutely." said Mel.

"Now get outta here, and if you tell anyone what I just said I'll beat the tar outta ya!" joked Dal. Melody shut the door and ran up the steps to her house. As she opened the door she heard the engine rev up and race down the street.

The house was silent, so she was obviously alone. Darry was at work and Soda and Pony were out having fun, so none of them wouldn't be back til late.

Once inside, Mel slammed the screen door and broke down and cried she ran to her room and reached under her bed. After a few minutes of frantic searching she pulled out a tattered old notebook. She sat on her bed, still unmade from when Two-Bit was sleeping off his hangover, picked up a pencil and began to write.


	5. Ask me and I'd Lie

"_He stands there then walks away my god if I could only say…"_

"Hey babe, what you doing?" asked Two-bit, sticking his head through the door. Melody quickly shut the cover of her notebook and put the guitar aside.

"Nothing." she said. Two-bit looked at her strangely. He walked over and sat next to her on the bed. He picked up the guitar and started strumming it.

"Sure didn't sound like nothing." he said. They he saw the notebook.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing to the book. Melody sighed.

"I'm gonna tell you something that nobody knows. Not even Soda." she said.

"When my parents died, I had a lot of bottled up emotions. And I had no way of getting rid of them. So one day I grabbed one of Pony's old notebooks and just stared writing. And after that I put the words to a tune on the guitar." She explained.

"So you've been writing songs?" wondered Two-Bit. Melody nodded.

"Including the one you were singing now?" he asked. She nodded again. Mel noticed that he was eyeing the notebook.

"You can read it if you want, it's nothing spectacular." she said.

"Are you sure? I mean if it's private and all…" said Two-Bit.

"No, it's fine. Just pages of stupid scribbles." assured Melody. Two-Bit picked up the notebook and flipped few the pages. Not as if he was bored with is, but reading each page with intense interest.

"Mel these are brilliant" he said.

"You really think so?" she wondered.

"Absolutely. I mean I don't know much about this kinda stuff, but I know this is really good" he said.

"That one you were just singing. Can you sing it for me?" he asked, holding out the guitar for her. Melody hesitated but eventually took the instrument and positioned it on her lap.

"OK, but swear to god you wont laugh at me." Two-bit nodded and motioned for her to start. She took a deep breath and began strumming her dad's guitar.

_I don't think that passenger seat  
Has ever looked this good to me  
He tells me about his night  
And I count the colors in his eyes_

_He'll never fall in love  
He swears, as he runs his fingers through his hair  
I'm laughing 'cause I hope he's wrong  
And I don't think it ever crossed his mind  
He tells a joke, I fake a smile  
But I know all his favorite songs_

_And I could tell you  
His favorite color's green  
He loves to argue  
Born on the seventeenth  
He calls me beautiful  
He has these gorgeous eyes  
And if you ask me if I love him  
I'd lie_

_He looks around the room  
Innocently overlooks the truth  
Shouldn't a light go on  
Doesn't he know that I've had him memorized for so long  
And he sees everything black and white  
Never let nobody see him cry  
I don't let nobody see me wishing he was mine_

_I could tell you  
His favorite color's green  
He loves to argue  
Born on the seventeenth  
He calls me beautiful  
He has these gorgeous eyes  
And if you ask me if I love him  
I'd lie_

_He stands there, then walks away  
My God, if I could only say  
I'm holding every breath for you_

_He'd never tell you  
But he wishes he'd play guitar  
I think he can see through everything but my heart  
First thought when I wake up is  
My God, he's beautiful  
So I put on my make-up  
And pray for a miracle_

_Yes, I could tell you  
His favorite color's green  
And he loves to argue  
Oh, and it kills me  
he calls me beautiful  
He has these gorgeous eyes  
And if you ask me if I love him...  
if you ask me if I love him...  
I'd lie_

Melody stopped playing and put the guitar back down.

"It's about Dally isn't it?" wondered Two-bit.

"Yeah." she said softly.

"You should tell him how you feel Melody." he said. She couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"You've been dropped on your head too many times." Melody said. "I'm just a stupid sixteen year old who bother's him all the time."

"Now, you _know_ that's not true. You're his best friend. And he loves you." said Two-Bit

"As a friend." sighed Mel. "That's fine. I'd rather him be that than nothing at all."

"So have you written anything about me?" Two-Bit asked playfully.

"Yeah." smiled Mel as she began to play the instrument again.

But what they didn't know was that Dally had let himself inside, and had heard everything. About the book, the song and his best friends feelings.

**AN: i dont own the song 'i'd lie' that belongs to Taylor Swift. but i did change some of the lyrics to match the story.**


	6. Realization

Dally went outside and sat on the porch

Dally quietly went outside and sat on the porch, careful not to let them know he was there. He pulled out a cigarette out of his jacket pocket and struck a match. Melody _loved_ him. Of course he cared for her; she was one of the only people he could actually trust. Not that he would let anyone knew he thought of stuff like that. He had never really thought of her as anything more than that... until now.

Melody was Everyone's sister, everyone's friend …his best friend. But was it possible that there was more to her than that? Occasionally there was bit of harmless flirting between them every now and then. But did he really feel that way about her?

His cigarette dangled loosely from his fingertips. He brought it to his mouth and took a long drag.

It was obvious that she wasn't the little girl that she used to be, he knew that for sure. She could have any guy she wanted and yet she wanted him. It just didn't make sense.

He decided that he needed to clear his head and figure some things out. He got up off the porch and walked down the street.

Dally kicked a couple of stones across the pavement as he walked. All he could think about was Melody and what she had described in that song. She had remembered every minor detail of the conversation that they had in the car that afternoon.

When he was with her, Dally didn't feel the need to be mean old Dallas Winston. He could just be an ordinary guy, who smiled and laughed and didn't have to worry about being a tough hood in front of an audience.

'_What the hell. What is all this crap?' _Dal thought to himself. He tried to shake the thoughts away, but they wouldn't go away.

Sure she was beautiful, smart, and funny. She was everything any guy would love. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was that Dal felt even if he did feel something else for Mel, he didn't deserve her. That nobody deserved someone like him.

Dal stopped walking and sighed. It was too late the worst had happened. Dallas Winston had fallen in love with his best friend.

**AN: Sorry that this was so short. But it was really hard to put everything into words. The next chapter should be better. That little review button over there looks so sad. lol Review please, i'm stuck on Ideas at the moment. **


	7. Suspensions & Swingset Conversations

The week had gone by fairly quickly and it was now Thursday. Nobody had seen Dally since Sunday afternoon. School Mornings at the Curtis house was eventful to say the least. Darry was sensible. He woke up and got ready early to escape the mad rush that would later consume the family bathroom. He sat at the kitchen table sipping his coffee as his younger siblings fought each other for an inch or space in front of the mirror.

"Darry, have you seen my sneakers?" yelled Ponyboy.

"Outside." answered Darry.

"God Soda, you already have enough grease in your hair, give me some room!" said Mel. Soda smiled then shoved her out of the bathroom and slammed the door behind him. Melody sighed and ran into her room.

"Where are my jeans!" she yelled.

"Try the floor." said Darry. "It's a wonder you can find anything in your rooms." he looked at his watch and got up.

"I'm heading off. Soda, I'll give you a lift or you'll be late for work Hurry up or you two will be late for school." he said as he headed out the door. He almost ran into Two-Bit, Johnny and Steve on the way out.

"Hi Guys." Two-Bit said. Soda raced out of his room hopping up and down, trying to pull one of his shoes on.

"See ya!" he called out to nobody in particular before following Darry out the door.

"Bye Guys." said Two-Bit.

"Pony, Mel, Come on we're gonna be late!" yelled Steve. Pony and Mel grabbed their bags and raced out the door and piled into Two-Bit's car. They arrived at school just as the bell went. Everyone's locker was all in the same area as each other so that was a good thing. After collecting their books, the four said goodbye and went their own ways.

The day seemed to drag on forever. Melody sat in her chair, completely bored out of her mind. She never liked math class. Two-Bit smiled as he scribbled on a scrap of paper and threw it at Melody. She jumped; he had obviously woken her up a little. She made sure that the teacher wasn't looking before she picked up the note and read it.

_Having fun?_

Mel smiled to herself as she wrote her reply. Casually yawning, she tossed it in Two-Bit's direction.

_Would rather be at work! I hate trigonometry._

After what seemed like forever the bell rang. The two jumped out of their seats and headed out the door.

Mel shoved her text books into her locker and sighed. She only had one more class before lunch. But that was ok, she had English and that was her favourite subject. Pony stood next to Mel as she got her books. They were talking when a couple of soc's walked past. One stuck his foot out and tripped Pony over. Mel helped Pony up while glaring at the two walking off.

"Stupid Greasers." they mumbled. "Even their parents, didn't want them enough so they went and got themselves killed." one of them sneered.

That was it. Melody ran over to the soc who said those harmful words and tackled him to the ground. He tried to get up but Mel was way too strong. She repeatedly punched him. Just then Two-Bit appeared. He pulled Mel of the soc dragged her back. His face was bruised and his shirt covered in blood.

"Crazy Bitch." he said. Two-Bit tried to calm Mel down as the crowd parted and there stood Mrs. Jenson, who happened to have seen the entire thing.

"Mr. Matthews please escort Miss Curtis to the principal's office this instant!" she ordered. Two-Bit gave her a mock salute and he and Mel walked down the hallway.

"Would you mind telling me what the hell that was about?" he asked as they walked.

"That jerk tripped Pony. Then he said really horrible stuff about all of us…and my parents. I couldn't help it Two-Bit. I honestly had no control." cried Melody.

"Hey it's ok." Two-bit said as they reached the office. They went inside to find the principal, Mr. Hallon waiting angrily for them.

"Mr. Matthews, shouldn't you be in History?" he wondered.

"Yes, sir. I better run. Those paper planes ain't gonna make themselves." joked Two-bit. He squeezed Mel's hand once more for reassurance and then left the office.

"Miss Curtis I was shocked to hear of your actions this afternoon." Mr. Hallon said. Mel looked to her feet.

"Unfortunately i'm going to have to call your brother to pick you up. You are hereby suspended for two weeks." Mel could only nod. She really didn't want to tell him that Darry would probably be at work and didn't know if anyone would be home to get her. She took a seat as she watched Hallon pick up the phone and dial her number.

"Hello, is Darrel Curtis there?" Hallon wondered

"This is Royston Hallon, Principal of Tulsa High. I am in need of someone to pick up Melody." He paused as the person on the other line talked.

"She got into a fight with another student." he paused again. Melody was wondering who he could be talking to.

"Thank you." he said finally then hung up the phone.

"Someone's on their way to pick you up. I suggest you go and get your things." said Hallon. Mel nodded and went to collect her bag. A few moments later she was sitting in the waiting room of the office when the door opened. She looked up and was staring into the icy blue eyes of Dallas Winston.

"Come on kid." he said. Mel got up and dragged herself out of the room slowly. They walked in silence to the car.

"Thanks for the lift." said Mel quietly.

"It's ok. I figured putting off the argument with Darry for a while might help." Dal said.

"Does he know?" wondered Mel.

"I called him and told him something happened and you were coming home. Thought you could fill him in on the details." Dal snickered.

"Gee thanks." Mel replied sarcastically. Dal grinned.

"So why'd you do it?" he wondered.

"Stupid Soc tripped Pony over then started bad mouthing everyone…especially mom and dad. So I tackled him and beat the tar out of him" said Mel.

"Good for you." Dal said.

He then realized where they were and pulled the car over. Melody snapped out of her daze and saw where the car had stopped.

It was the old playground that her mom used to take her and her brothers when they were younger.

"I thought you could use a little time to cool off." smiled Dal. Mel smiled at him and got out of the car. They walked around for a while before Mel noticed the swing set. She wandered over and sat down.

"Bet you cant go higher than me!" said Mel.

Dal shook his head and smiled at her immaturity before he sat on the other swing and caught up to Melody. They both tried to out-swing each other for ages until she they finally began to slow down.

"I was thinking," started Melody. "Everyone has their own thing right?"

"What do you mean?" Wondered Dal. They had slowed down so that they were both just swaying along with the breeze.

"Well everyone has their own place in the gang. Darry's superman. Pony's the smart one. Soda's the good-looking caring one. Johnnycake's everyone's best friend. Steve's… i'm not even gonna mention Steve. Two-Bit's the annoying wiseass we all hate to admit that we love…and you're Dallas Winston…the most amazing guy I know." Melody tried to hide that last part by mumbling. Dally looked to his feet and grinned. He lit a cigarette and took a drag before passing it to Melody.

"Well then who am I?" asked Melody, flicking the ashes away and passing it back.

"What? You're you." Dal said confused.

"Yeah but I'm nothing special." Said Mel, looking to her feet sadly. Dally looked up at her, a shocked look on his face.

"Don't ever talk shit like that again. You _are_ special." he said to her.

"Yeah right how." said Melody, unconvinced.

Dally thought for a moment. Melody didn't realize how great she really was. She honestly thought she was a nobody. He figured that if he was gonna say something, now would be the time.

"Think about it kid. You look after everyone. Your smart, beautiful, funny as hell, everyone loves you. And you're pretty amazing yourself so you don't need help for that." he said quietly. Melody couldn't believe that he said all that.

"You really think I'm all that?" Melody wondered. Dally shook his head.

"No." he said simply. Melody knew it was too good to be true. She looked down to her feet again, disheartened. Dal lifted her chin so they were looking eye-to-eye.

"I _know_ you are." he leaned in and kissed her. Melody couldn't believe that Dallas Winston, the toughest guy she knew could be so gentle and was kissing her. And was a great kisser at that! They broke apart after a moment, only to be consumed by passion and began making out on the swing set.

"I never thought you would ever do that." Said Mel, blushing furiously.

"Yeah well." Said Dal.

"I probably should be getting home. Darry probably wants to know what happened then give me a lecture." said Melody. She rubbed her hands along her arms. A cool breeze was beginning to set it.

"Yeah." Said Dally as he helped her up. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around Mel's shoulders then her hand in his as they began to walk to the car.

"You really think I'm beautiful?" asked Melody. Dally smiled at her, making her almost go weak at the knees.

"Yep." he said. "You really think I'm amazing?" he asked.

"Yep." smiled Melody. They walked back to the car with their fingers secretly entwined.


	8. Facing the Music

Dally stopped the car a fair way away from the house. Even though Darry knew that he picked Melody up from the principal's office, they sorta didn't want everyone to know about them just yet

Mel looked out at the house and saw Darry's truck parked out the front. It was time to face the music.

"I better get in there. He's gonna want to know what happened." said Mel. Dal nodded and grinned. Mel went to open the door but Dally stopped her and pulled her face towards him and kissed her.

"I'll see ya later, if Darry doesn't kill you first that is." joked Dal. Mel rolled her eyes and got out of the car. She realized that she was still wearing Dal's jacket. She shrugged it off and handed it to him through the window.

"Keep it, for now." he said as he started the engine and raced off down the street. Melody smiled to herself as she walked towards her house. In her mind she was sure that she had dreamed everything about that afternoon. She ran her finger across her lips. They still had a tingly feeling left from Dal's kiss.

Darry was sitting in his chair reading the paper as usual.

"Hey Dar." Mel said.

"Where have you been?" Darry asked casually. Mel was relieved. He didn't seem too angry at the moment.

""Oh I was pretty upset after today, so after Dal picked me up we went to that old playground that mom used to take up to. I just needed time to think." explained Mel. She decided to leave out the part about feeling like she was nothing then making out on the swing set with Dallas.

Darry folded his paper in half and got up. Most people at Mel's height would feel intimidated by standing next to Darry, but Mel didn't. She was pretty tall and she knew her brother better than that.

"We need to talk about what happened this afternoon because Dallas didn't tell me anything." said Darry, crossing his arm across his chest.

"Me and Pony were in the hallway talking and some stupid wiseass soc trips him then starts saying really bad stuff about mom and dad. I honestly couldn't control myself Darry. So I tackled him to the ground and kept punching him. If Two-Bit hadn't of pulled me off I probably would have killed him." explained Mel, looking to her feet. She was sure that her lecture was coming up right about now.

"Ok." Darry said simply. Mel looked up at him confused.

"You're…you're not mad?" she wondered.

"Well i'm not thrilled at the idea of my baby sister getting suspended for fighting in school. But you were sticking up for us…for mom and dad and i'm proud of you. I just think that you could have dealt with it better." Darry said.

"I guess." Mel said.

"Well I still have to work for the next two weeks. but I expect Two-Bit and Dally over here so at least you'll have some company." said Darry walking into the kitchen.

"True. Is it ok if I go down to the DX and see Soda?" wondered Mel.

"Sure." Darry yelled back.

"Two Weeks?" wondered Soda. he was working under a car and Mel was sitting on the workbench reading a magazine.

"Yep." she replied flicking the pages..

"Man I just wish I could have seen the look on Hallon's face when he found out his star student got into a fight." he joked as he came out from under the car

"It's not the first time I've been suspended smartass." Mel said sticking her tongue out at her brother.

"Still." he said. Mel threw him a rag to wash the grease off.

"So what you gonna do for two weeks at home?" wondered Soda.

"I don't know. Darry hasn't grounded me or anything so I guess ill hang out with Two-Bit or Dally or something." shrugged Mel.

"Hey I think Steve's going looking for hubcaps tonight. Wanna go with?" asked Soda.

"Sure." answered Mel.

At quitting time Soda and Mel walked home together when they caught up with Steve who was on his way to the house. He had just left his house after having yet another fight with his old man and was kicked out of home…again.

"So you guys coming out tonight?" Steve wondered.

"Sure. I got nothing better to do than watch you lifting hubcaps." said Mel sarcastically.

"That's what happens when you have too much excitement in one day, it leaves nothing left." joked Soda. Mel slapped him on the head then ran for her life as he began to chase her.

The three arrived at the Curtis house just as dinner was being served.

"Me Steve and Mel were thinking of going out tonight Dar." said Soda.

"Yeah I guess that's fine. Just don't be too late or loud when you get back. I gotta work tomorrow and Pony's got school." Darry said.

it turned out to be a pretty cold night as the twins stood out in the street watching Steve work his magic on the hubcaps. Melody was lucky that she still had Dally's jacket with her.

"How come you got Dally's jacket?" wondered Soda as he shone a flashlight in Steve's direction.

"He leant it to me when he got me from school today. Said I can give it back next time I see him." said Mel.

They made it back at what seemed like a little after midnight. Steve stashed the hubcaps around the side of the house until morning and crashed on the couch. Mel said goodnight to them and went to her room. She lay there in her bed thinking about the days' events. The more she thought about it, the less the thought that it was all a wonderful dream. It was just a fantastic reality.

**AN: This chapter was written in a big rush. I have no idea why. but hopefully the next couple will be better. Please Review … you know you want to XD**


	9. Suspension Day one

Melody didn't wanna wake up the next morning

Melody didn't wanna wake up the next morning. It was the first day of her long 2 week suspension and she wanted to make the most of it by sleeping. But she didn't have much of a choice. If it wasn't the sound of Steve sneaking around the side of the house to collect the hubcaps, which happened to be just outside her bedroom window, it was her three siblings making a complete ruckus in the midst of getting ready for their day. Mel groaned and held a pillow over her head and tried to drown out the racket. After a while she figured it was pointless trying to get beck to sleep so she just rested in bed for a while, drifting in and out of consciousness.

Eventually, by about 8:00 the house was silent. Mel sighed and pulled back the covers on her bed. Seeing as how the dishes were already graciously done, she decided to create another mess and make a cake. Even if the icebox was full there would be room for it by the time the guys got home. So Mel set to work making one of her well-loved chocolate cakes.

As she scraped the last of the mixture into the baking dish, Mel gasped as she felt two strong arms encircle themselves around her tiny waist. She smiled when she heard the all too familiar chuckle behind her.

"Scare the hell outta me why dont you." Mel laughed.

"Good morning to you too." said Dal. Mel twisted around so she was facing him.

"It didn't start out great actually. But it's getting better now." She smiled leaning in and capturing his lips in a kiss.

"Good to see your brother didn't murder you yesterday." laughed Dal.

He lifted her up so that she was sitting on the bench as he deepened the kiss. Melody's hands were tangled in Dally's un-greased hair. His hands rested on the small of her back before sliding underneath the green t-shirt she had worn to bed.

"Mel, you up yet?" came a voice from the doorway.

"Shit." Mumbled Dal as he quickly helped Mel off the countertop and she returned to preparing the cake just as Two-Bit came in.

"Hey guys." He said cheerfully. They mumbled a quiet response.

"Ditching class again Two-Bit?" wondered Mel. Two-Bit just shrugged.

"Yeah, some sort of test in Trig. What fun is school if there's nobody there with you." He said.

"What about Johnny and Pony?" asked Mel but the only response she got was another shrug of the shoulders and the sound of the TV blaring.

"Hang on a second." Mel whispered.

"Hey Dal could you help me for a second?" she asked really loudly. She winked at Dal after he gave her a confused look.

"Sure." He replied as they went to her room and shut the door.

"Man that was close." Mel whispered.

"Yeah i know." said Dal. He took her arm and pulled her close to him.

"Dal he's in the next room!" she said.

"Dont worry, with that stupid mouse on he won't know anything." said Dal.

"Still, we have to be careful. I dont think we should let anyone know about us just yet." said Mel.

"Good idea. I really dont want any one of you're brothers to kick my head in at the moment." laughed Dal. Mel just smiled and grabbed Dally's jacket off the back of the door.

"Thought I should return this." She said smiling.

"Thanks." said Dal. Mel sighed unhappily.

"We better get out there or he'd gonna suspect something." she said. Dal nodded and the two left the room.

"if your not going to get a job Two-Bit, who don't you go clean up you're house instead of living at mine." Suggested Melody.

"Nah, where's the fun in that." yelled Two-Bit from the lounge. Mel shook her head. Dal pulled her arms around his waist and pulled her close to him.

"He's in the other room." whispered Mel. Dal walked over and grabbed a part of the newspaper that Darry left behind that morning, scrunched it up into a ball and threw it at Two-Bit. He didn't budge. Smiling at his response, Dal walked back over to Mel and kissed her neck. Mel smiled to herself before regretfully pulling away and getting the cake out of the oven. Dal shook his head and grabbed his jacket off the bench.

"I'll see you later." He said as he left the house.


	10. Photo Album

The three youngest Curtis kids were sitting at the table eating dinner. Darry called the house around lunchtime, saying that he had to work late that night.

"Hey Mel, do you have to work tomorrow?" asked Ponyboy.

"Nope, why?" wondered Mel.

"Well I've got a race tomorrow and I was hoping that you would come and watch." said Pony.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, kiddo." smiled Mel.

After dinner and pony was washing up, Mel was in Soda and Pony's room making the bed when Soda raced in and jumped on it.

"Soda I just made that!" she said. Soda looked up and smiled at her.

"What are you gonna do about it?" he asked. Mel didn't have a comeback so she stuck her tongue out at her brother.

"Oh that's it!" he said as he jumped up and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her onto the bed and tickling her.

"Soda, Stop!" Mel pleaded. Just then Ponyboy came in.

"Hey, look what I found." he said. The twins stopped fighting each other and looked up. They saw that their brother was carrying a large book.

"Oh My god I remember this." said Mel. Pony walked over and sat on the other side of his sister as she opened the cover of their family photo album. Every page was filled with photos of the kids, their parents and the gang. As well as the album ad various frames, the kids had photo collages on note boards in their rooms, that their parents made them a few years back.

"These were all taken with Mom's camera." said Pony. Mel got up off the bed and went to her closet. A few moments later she came back with the camera.

"How come you have that?" asked Soda.

"Because there's a better chance of finding it in my room than in here." she said as they continued to look at the pictures.

"Hey I remember this one!" laughed Soda pointing to a picture of a three year old Melody holding baby Pony.

"You were always pretending that you were mom." joked Soda.

"And I was damn good at it too! The second best mom there ever will be." said Mel.

"I miss them so much." said Ponyboy quietly, tears falling down his cheeks.

"So do we, buddy." said Soda. Mel wrapped her arms around her brothers as they continued to reminisce.

"Guys, I'm home." said Darry when he got home. there was no answer.

"Guys?" he yelled again. He checked the kitchen, it was empty. He walked past the boy's room but backed right up again. There, lying on the bed, were his three siblings. Darry then noticed the open book lying on his sister's lap. He smiled and took the book from her.

Later that night, Darry sat in his armchair, looking over his family photo album. He laughed at a photo that Two-Bit must have taken, it was New Years Eve last year and his parents had invited the gang over to celebrate. The next page showed a family portrait. Darry ran his fingers over his parent's faces. He missed them so much, but he knew that they would be proud of him.

Melody woke up in the middle of the night and went to the kitchen to get a glass of milk, when she saw Darry asleep in his chair, the photo album lying open on his lap. she smiled and grabbed a blanket from her room to give to her brother. She placed the photo album on the table and turned the lamp off before heading back to the boy's room.


	11. Pony's Race

Melody had Dally pick her up and take her to the track later that day. Two-Bit showed up earlier in the morning and since he had nothing to do, decide to tag along. The three arrived at the track just as they were warming up. Mel spotted Pony and waved as she and the guys took a seat in the bleachers.

"Alright will all competitors please make their way to the starting line." called the official.

There were about five of them in Pony's race. With the sound of the starting pistol, the race began. a couple of soc punks were trying to push Pony out of the way, but he kept running. Mel, Two-Bit and even Dally were shouting support to him as he crossed the finish line, giving him second place.

Mel and the guys started to walk down towards Pony when they noticed something. A few of the socs were giving Pony a hard time, shoving him around and just being jerks. He looked over to his friends for help. Two-Bit started to walk over but Mel stopped him.

"Wait, I got an idea." she said. She whispered something to him, making him laugh. Two-Bit then told Dal, who cracked a smile as Mel walked towards the boys. Mel walked over to them and was leaning against the fence.

"Hey there fellas." she said.

"Hey babe." said some punk-ass soc, trying to be cool.

"You boys wouldn't be picking on this incredibly handsome boy now would you?" she asked sweetly, pointing to Pony. he threw her a confused look but she just subtly winked at him.

"Forget the greaser. How'd you like to get to know a real man?" asked the soc. Mel tried to contain her laughter. This kid couldn't have been older than 14.

"Sure thing stallion, but come here for a sec I gotta tell you something." she said. The guy smiled at his friends before strutting up to the fence. He bended his ear towards Mel. She grabbed him by the shirt collar.

"You see those guys over there?" Mel asked pointing to Dally and Two-Bit, who looked very mean at that moment. The soc gulped.

"You mess with my kid brother again, and there's another four of us who would kick your ass in a second. And I'm not always so nice myself. Do you understand me?" she warned. the soc said nothing but nodded his head.

"Good kid." Mel said as she slapped his cheek and shoved him away. Pony smiled and wrapped his arm around his sister.

"Let's go sis." he said.

"See you round boys." called Mel as she and Ponyboy walked over to Dal and Two-Bit, who were laughing so hard, that Two-Bit was bent over, clutching his stomach. Dally put one arm around Mel and the four walked back to the car.

"That was awesome Mel!" said Pony.

"Don't mention it Pony." smiled Mel. Two-Bit looked in the rear view mirror and smiled at his best friend.

"Hey I feel like some ice cream, how about we stop off at Dairy Queen?" he asked. Everyone agreed.


	12. Whole Day Together

You know those times when you're not actually awake but are just thinking about event of the previous day? Well that's what Melody was doing.

As she lay in her bed, she remembered yesterday afternoon. After leaving the track, Two-Bit drove them all to Dairy Queen for celebratory ice cream, in honour of Ponyboy receiving second place. What was meant to be a simple outing of getting ice cream, turned out to be full-on warfare and food fights on the hood of Buck Merrill's beat up old T-Bird.

When it was over, all four of them were covered with ice cream and hot fudge sauce. It kind of reminded Two-Bit of the soap suds war he had with Mel a while back. Mel spent half the night washing her and Pony's clothes. Chocolate fudge really was a bitch to get out!

Her reminiscing was halted by a heavy thud on her bed. She opened one eye to see Two-Bit sitting on the edge of her bed, smiling broadly at her.

"What _are_ you doing?" Mel asked tiredly.

"Waking up my bestest buddy in the whole wide world." Two-Bit answered childishly.

"What time is it?" Mel asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Two-Bit glanced at the clock.

"About 9:50." he shrugged. Mel sighed.

"I seriously planned on sleeping in on my days off during this suspension…so far that hasn't happened and it's been three days now!" she complained. Two-Bit smiled.

"Oh come on babe, get up. We need breakfast and I'm not aloud to use the kitchen appliances after last time." he said. Mel shuddered at the thought. So horrible. Pancake batter. _Everywhere_. She sighed and threw back the covers.

"Alright, I'm up, I'm up!" she said, getting out of bed. She pulled on a jumper and stared at Two-Bit.

"How did I get stuck with such an annoying best friend?" Mel mumbled, making her way to the kitchen.

"Just lucky I guess." smiled Two-Bit, following. He sat down at the table as Mel started preparing breakfast. She found it weird that he didn't help himself to beer and chocolate cake like he usually did.

"No school today?" asked Mel.

"Nope."

"Its 10:00, aren't you gonna go watch Mickey?"

"Nope." Mel stopped and turned around and stared at him.

"Ok, who are you and what have you done with Two-Bit Matthews?" she asked.

"Well I had a thought…" stared Two-Bit.

"That's a change." said Mel sarcastically. Two-Bit pulled a face and continued.

"We haven't spent the day together in I don't know how long. So I was thinking that seeing as you're suspended without grounding, that you'd wanna hang out today?" he asked.

"Absolutely." smiled Mel. She served a plate of breakfast each and then joined her best friend at the table.

"So what were you thinking of doing today?" asked Mel.

"I don't know, we can just hang out here for a while if you want." suggested Two-Bit.

"Sure." said Mel. After breakfast they just lounged around the house. Two-Bit was stretched out on Mel's bed looking at the photo board on her wall.

"Man, we take some really crazy photos!" exclaimed Two-bit. Mel lay next to him. He was looking at photos of them with their friends.

"Definitely." agreed Mel.

There was one of him cracking a joke in the middle of the Curtis lounge room, with Mel, Soda & Steve laughing away. Another was them and Pony stuck pushing his car after it had broken down, with Dally walking away, not wanting to help.

Looking at these photos, Mel couldn't help wondering how long it was going to last. How long until things change again. Things were fine until her parents died, until they all had to be scared for their lives every time they walked down the street. Two-Bit noticed her deep in thought.

"What you thinking about?" he asked.

"How long's this gonna last, Two-Bit?" Mel asked.

"What?" he asked again. Mel gestured to the entire room.

"All of this. How long is life gonna last like this. Everyday is a new battle for our lives, we can't step out the front door without the possibility of getting jumped, I mean look at Johnny." she said.

Two-Bit nodded his head. She was right. If there wasn't an on-going war with those stupid socs then life would be pretty damn sweet.

"Remember when we were kids, how everything was just easier?" asked Mel.

"Even though we were greasers." added Two-Bit.

"Yeah. I just want life to go back to the way it was." said Mel.

"so do I, but unfortunately it can't, all we can do is live now." said Two-Bit. Mel still had a sad look on her face and it killed him to see her like that.

"Ok come on, stop moping around." he said, pulling her up to her feet.

"ok, what do you wanna do now?" asked Mel.

"well, you could teach me how to make a chocolate cake." suggested Two-Bit. Mel looked at him warningly. he put his hands up in defence.

"and I promise I wont touch anything I'm not supposed to." he vowed. Mel rolled her eyes, something she seemed to do often, and smiled.

"Come on then." she said. Two-Bit smiled and raced into the kitchen. Mel shook her head and followed. This was going to be a long and interesting day.

**A/N: hey all, just a quick question: I know that so far the story hasn't been in anyone's POV, but do you think I should change that and alternate between people or just leave it like it is…let me know. ML17**


	13. TwoBit's Tuff Cake

"Ok, now you need to mix it all together." instructed Melody. As promised, she has helping Two-Bit make a cake and it was going pretty well, much to her surprise. She sat on the bench beside him as he carefully mixed the ingredients in the bowel.

"Done! What next?" he asked enthusiastically. Mel inspected the sloppy brown mixture. He actually did a good job.

"Now pour it into the baking tin." she said. Two-Bit had an idea and smiled wickedly. Unfortunately for him, Mel noticed at once.

"Carefully, and all of it needs to stay in the tin, you got that?" she warned. Two-Bit sulked and nodded. Once that was done, they put it in the oven and played a game of poker to pass the time while the cake was cooking.

So far things weren't looking too good for Two-Bit. He had already lost about forty bucks to Mel and was twirling his beloved black-handled switch between his fingers, debating whether or not to place it on the table. Before he could make up his mind, the oven timer went off, telling them that their cake was ready. Two-Bit jumped up quickly and shoved his blade back into his back pocket before racing to the kitchen.

"Saved by the bell." mumbled Mel as she collected her winnings and put them in her pocket. Carefully, she took the cake out of the oven and set it down to cool.

"Can we eat it yet?" asked Two-Bit excitedly. Mel laughed at his eagerness.

"No stupid, you have to let it cool down first." she said. Two-Bit sat impatiently at the table, drumming his fingers on it's surface.

"Jesus, if you're that impatient, why don't you make that icing while you're waiting?" suggested Melody. So Two-Bit set to work preparing the icing as Ponyboy got home from school.

"Hey guys, what smells good?" he asked. Two-Bit smiled proudly.

"Mel taught me how to make a cake." he smiled. When the cake was finally cool, the two Curtis kids watched their friend carefully cover his creation with gooey brown icing. When he was done, he took a step back and admired his work.

"That looks pretty darn tuff." smiled Two-Bit.

"Well are we just gonna look at it or are we gonna eat it?" wondered Pony. So they each tried a bit of Two-Bits experimental cooking.

"Hey this isn't that bad." said Mel.

"Were you seriously expecting any less?" wondered Two-Bit.

"Actually, I was kinda expecting us to end up in the emergency room." joked Pony. Two-Bit shoved his arm playfully.

"Thanks for the confidence boost, kiddo." he joked.

After hanging out at the house for a while, Two-Bit left to go to a party at Bucks, no doubt he was gonna have another hangover in the morning. Ponyboy sat quietly at his desk with his homework and Melody sat on the couch with her trusty notebook. They stayed like that for ages. They didn't realize the time until Soda got home from the DX.

"Hey sweetie." he said, kissing her forehead.

"Hey, how was work?" she asked, getting up off the couch.

"Pretty busy today actually." admitted Soda. "How was your day?"

"Good. Two-Bit decided that we would spend the whole day together, like we used to. We looked at old photos, he lost money to me in cards and I taught him how to make a cake." said Mel.

"And no food poisoning?" he wondered.

"You know it's funny, Pony said the same thing." laughed Mel.

That evening was pretty quiet, except for the rain that was pouring outside. Darry was exhausted after a long day at work, so he retired to bed pretty early. Melody sitting on the bed, occasionally helping Pony with his homework and Soda was snoozing on the couch.

Mel looked up from her magazine and saw that Pony could barely keep his eyes open. She looked at the clock and was shocked at how the time flew by, it was ten o'clock.

"Ponyboy, you've done enough studying. You need to sleep." she whispered to him.

"No I'm almost done." he said.

"You're almost asleep." said Mel. Before her little brother could say another word, she took the pencil out of his grasp and shut off the lamp, leading him over to his bed. Ponyboy was too tired to argue, so he limply fell onto the mattress.

Mel walked out to the living room and saw her twin lying on the couch with a car magazine lying over his face. she laughed to herself and gently whacked him on the forehead with it.

"I'm not asleep." he said.

"Soda, go to bed." she said. He didn't need to be told twice. He slowly made his way to his room. Mel yawned and finally made her way back to her room.

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Melody woke up suddenly to a strange noise outside. Figuring it was just the wind, she ignored it and went beck to sleep. Only it kept happening. Tired of the sound, she got up and walked over to her window.

There standing below her window, completely drenched from the rain, was Dallas Winston.


	14. Midnight Visitor

Melody honestly thought she was seeing things. But honest to god, her boyfriend was standing there in the pouring rain, looking up at her.

"Dallas, what the hell are you doing here?!" asked Melody.

"I came to ask your brothers to go to the movies." said Dal sarcastically. "What do you think?"

"Are you drunk?" Mel asked.

"Surprisingly no." laughed Dal. "Now are you gonna let me in or what?"

"You do realize that my brothers are asleep next door right?" she asked.

"Your brothers could sleep through a rumble, not that they would." noted Dally. Mel had to agree with him on that one. She quietly opened the window and helped Dally get in. Mel went and got some towels for him before sitting next to him on the bed.

"Ok, so tell me again why you decided to climb through my window at midnight?" Mel asked.

"I didn't wanna stay at Bucks place and decide to come here." said Dal simply.

"Well I'm glad I can be used as a last resort for your boredom. You do realize that if Darry wakes up and finds you here, he'd kill you." said Mel.

"Yeah, I know." he said grinning. He pulled her by the waist into a kiss.

At that moment, all worries had fled her mind. She didn't care about her brothers waking up or anything. As long as she was there with Dally, she didn't have a care in the world. She found herself fumbling with his soaking shirt, determined to take it off. At last the struggle was over and the shirt was now on the floor. Dal began to kiss her neck as Mel ran her fingers through his soaking hair.

Dally stopped for am moment and looked at Mel.

"Are you sure?" he asked. Mel looked into his eyes. For some reason, they didn't look like the familiar eyes she was used to seeing. the ice cold stare had been replaced with warmth and concern. She nodded and brought her lips back to his.

Dal wrapped his arm around Mel and pulled her close. The two fell asleep in each others arms.

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the next morning Melody woke up with the sun shining in her eyes. it was only then she noticed someone's arm around her waist. she looked to see Dally lying next to her. A smile crept to her lips as she remembered the night before. Careful not to wake him, she started to get up when Dally pulled her back down to him.

"Morning Dal." she said.

"Morning Beautiful." he smiled, pulling her into a kiss. She tried to pull away again but he wasn't finished. Their kiss began to heat up. it wasn't until they heard Darry's voice that they realized what time it was.

"Shit!" whispered Dal as they both fell out of bed. They scrambled around looking for their clothes, that were scattered from one end of the room to the other. Dal finally found his jeans and was struggling to get them on. Mel laughed at him, causing Dal to give her a greasy look. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Both teens froze with panic.

"Mel, you up yet?" asked Soda.

"Just a sec." Mel called out. _'pass me my shirt.' _she mouthed to Dal. He threw it her and she pointed under the bed. he gave her a confused look.

'_Get under the bed!' _she mouthed. He raced over and slid under the bed, whacking his head on the bed frame.

"Sis, you ok?" asked Soda.

"Yep." replied Mel. She made sure Dal was out of sight before opening up the door.

"Morning Soda." she smiled.

"Uh, breakfast is ready." he said.

"Ok."

"You sure you're ok?" he asked again.

"Yeah I'm fine. I'll be out in a second, make sure Two-Bit doesn't eat my breakfast." smiled Mel as she shut the door. She turned her back to the door and slid to the ground, sighing deeply.

"Is the coast clear?" asked Dal.

"Yeah." said Mel Dally came out from under the bed and sat next to Mel, rubbing his head, which now had a slight bump on it.

"Close call." he admitted.

"You're telling me." said Mel.

"Ouch!" said Dal, rubbing the bump on his head.

"aw do you want me to kiss it better?" asked Mel.

"yeah." said Dal. Mel laughed and kissed the top of his head.

"from what I saw everyone's out there, so just go out through the window and in the front door." said Mel. Dal slipped his shirt back on, gave Melody a quick kiss and slipped out the window.


	15. Always and Forever

Once she finished getting dressed, Melody pulled her hair up and went outside to find just about everyone there. It was Soda and Steve's Day off and from the looks of it, Darry had already gone to work and Pony and Johnny must have gone.

"Morning All." she said. Just then Dally walked through the front door.

"Morning Dal." said Mel as she went to the kitchen to fix herself some breakfast.

"Morning Kid." he replied, grabbing a seat next to Steve on the couch.

"Aren't those the clothes you were wearing yesterday?" asked Steve.

"Yeah so, I stayed at Buck's last night." Dally lied. Steve nodded his head and went back to talking with Soda.

"What happened to your head?" asked Two-Bit.

"Ran into Sheppard at Bucks last night, you saw me there." said Dally.

"True." said Two-Bit, although he wasn't totally convinced. Soda pulled out the deck of cards and began shuffling them.

"Who's in?" he asked.

"I gotta head down to the store and get something for dinner. I'll be back later." said Mel as she left the house.

"Has anyone noticed Mel acting strange lately?" asked Two-Bit.

"She _really_ needs to get herself a guy!" laughed Soda. Dal smirked and tried not to laugh.

"Yeah, It'd do her good. She's gotta do more than work and hang out here." said Steve.

"What do you think Dal?"

"What? Oh Yeah, it'll do her good." Dal said as he got up.

"I gotta go. Buck owes me some money." he said, shaking his head and laughing quietly to himself.

"What's with him?" wondered Two-Bit, opening another can of beer.

"No idea man." said Soda as he dealt the cards.

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Two-Bit tried to figure it all out. Melody was acting so weird lately, well, weirder than usual anyway. Come to think of it, so was Dal. It was true, he did see him at Buck's last night but then he disappeared. It was possible that he ran into Tim Sheppard on the way out, although that didn't explain why they we're acting that way. Then it hit him.

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Soda and Steve took their girls out for lunch and Dal disappeared somewhere, leaving Two-Bit a chance to talk to Melody. She was in the putting away the clothes that were ironed the night before.

"So what's going on with you and Dally?" Two-Bit asked casually.

"What are you talking about?" asked Mel.

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about. you both have been acting strange lately." said Two-Bit.

"Nothing's going on, Two-Bit." said Mel.

"Yeah right, and I'm allergic to blondes." Two-Bit retorted sarcastically. Mel said nothing. It was then that Two-Bit knew that his assumptions were correct.

"He was here last night wasn't he?" Two-Bit asked.

"No, he was at Buck's. You saw him there." Mel pointed out.

"True, but he left." said Two-Bit. Melody shook her head.

"Melody."

"Ok, Fine! Yes he spent the night here!" admitted Mel.

"Nobody else knows do they?" wondered Two-Bit.

"You know what Darry would do if he found out I was with Dally?" asked Mel. Two-Bit winced at the thought.

He liked Darry, he was a great guy, but he didn't think that he would take the news very well that his baby sister was dating Dallas Winston.

"Well I'm not gonna tell, so don't worry about It." he said. Melody smiled in gratitude.

"You will." said Two-Bit.

"What!?"

"Mel, you gotta tell them, they're your family." said Two-Bit. Mel hated it when he was right.

"I promise I will, when the time's right." said Mel as she sat on the couch.

"So…do you love him?" Two-Bit asked.

"Yeah…I think I do." she said.

"Finally!" Two-Bit said, collapsing on the couch next to her. Melody laughed.

"I'm happy for you babe." he said.

"Thanks." smiled Mel. Two-Bits face then turned serious.

"Just promise me one thing." he said. Mel nodded for him to continue.

"You'll always be my girl." he said. Mel smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Always and forever."


	16. if you could have anything

**A/N: hey everyone, I hope you're enjoying this story as much as I am writing it. things are hopefully gonna get more interesting now, what with Dal and Melody having to face telling everyone about them. So I really wanna know what you think should happen for the twins birthday. Also, in my profile, I have started this thing where I need to come up with what my characters look like. I have posted a link for Mel so tell me what you think, and if you have any other suggestions let me know.**

**One more thing. I have started a poll, which is posted in my profile, on that should someone else have some kind of feelings for Melody. If so who?**

**Thats all for now. keep reviewing and keep letting me know your opinions.**

**ML17**

Dallas came back later that afternoon to find that Melody wasn't home. He walked around trying to find her when he saw her lying on a patch of grass by a tree in the lot. He walked up to her and gently kicked her leg.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, taking his cigarette from behind his ear and putting it to his lips.

"Thinking." Mel shrugged. Dal sighed and sat down next to her, resting his head against the tree.

"Do I wanna know what you're thinking about?" he asked. Mel shrugged again.

"I had an interesting conversation with Two-Bit today." She said.

"Really?" said Dal, only half listening as he struck a match.

"Yeah, he kinda knows about us." said Mel casually.

"What!"

"yeah." said Mel.

"Shit. If he says anything…" threatened Dal.

"He promised that he wouldn't." explained Mel.

"Yeah right. That wiseass couldn't keep a secret if his life depended on It." accused Dally.

"Oh come on, he's not that bad. Besides, he said he's happy for us." said Mel. That shocked Dal a little bit.

"Really?" asked Dal. Mel nodded. She then took a deep breath. This was the part she was dreading to tell him.

"Surprisingly, he made a pretty good point." she told him.

"And what's that?" Dal asked sceptically.

"That we should tell them." Mel said. Dal didn't need to ask who she was referring to. He shook his head.

"No way!" he insisted.

"Dal…"

"Mel, if Darry found out we're together, I'd get my head kicked in." said Dally.

"You're his buddy." said Mel.

"And you're his baby sister." said Dal.

"We can't keep sneaking around like this Dal. They're my family and face it, they're yours too." said Mel.

"Do you think I like this?! I wanna be with you whenever I want, not just when there's nobody else around." said Dal. Mel couldn't believe he was saying all that.

"Dal, they're gonna find out eventually. Wouldn't you rather them find out from us rather than some other way?" asked Mel. Dally remained quiet for a long time. Mel was worried if he was ever gonna talk again. She heard the occasional swear that he muttered under his breath.

"I hate it when you're right." he said finally. Mel smiled at him weakly.

"What are we gonna do?" Mel asked quietly. Dal shrugged his shoulders.

"From how I see it we have only two options," said Mel. Dal looked at her, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"A, We can tell them, risk getting our asses kicked." she said. Dal was contemplating it for a moment, staring off into space.

"Or B, we stop whatever this is." said Mel quietly. Dal's eyes shot straight back at her.

"You don't want that…do you?" he asked. Mel shook her head without hesitation.

"No I mean…not unless you do." she said, barely above a whisper. Dally thought about it. He had never felt this way about anyone before, not even Sylvia. Melody was his best friend and now she was something more, he didn't want to change that. Not yet.

"I don't know, kid. Something about you…you're different from everybody else. I seem to act differently when I'm with you." he said. Mel was amazed at how much feeling he was putting into his words.

"You see, I never thought I would ever hear myself say stuff like that." laughed Dally.

"So you think we should tell them?" said Mel.

"Yes…eventually." said Dal. Mel didn't want to argue anymore. It was getting dark so Dal walked Mel home.

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Later that night Ponyboy, Soda and Mel were playing Blackjack. Darry was sitting quietly in his chair, reading the paper like usual when suddenly he had a thought.

"Hey, it's your birthday next week guys. What are we gonna do?" he asked the twins.

"I thought we were cutting back because we couldn't afford It." said Mel, dealing out more cards.

"It doesn't have to be anything extravagant. I just though you both would wanna celebrate your seventeenth by doing something." said Darry.

"Why don't we celebrate here. The guys can come over, we could have a cake, have some drinks, some music." suggested Soda.

"So basically what we do every night." laughed Pony.

"I guess we could have a bonfire in the backyard." said Darry. The twins agreed that it would be a great idea.

"Hey, if you could have anything you wanted, what would it be?" asked Pony.

"Hell, I'd love a fast car." beamed Soda, imitating a steering wheel with his hands.

"What about you Mel?" Pony asked. Mel thought long and hard about what she wanted.

"I don't know." she said.

"Oh come on sis, it can be anything you want." said Soda.

"Anything?" wondered Mel to herself, staring at the cards in her hand.

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Melody sat outside late that night, alone with her thoughts. That is, until she heard the screen door close, followed by the sound of her twin sitting next to her on the porch.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"Remember what Pony said before, about having anything I wanted." asked Mel.

"Yeah." said Soda.

"I've figured out what I want." she said.

"What do you want?" asked Soda.

"I wanna live to be twenty one." Mel said in all seriousness. Soda looked at his sister there. It was no secret that everyone was sick and tired of the war between the greasers and socs. But Mel probably had it worst of all. She was the only girl in the gang, and girls weren't supposed to be caught up in all that mess.

"Considering all that's going on…I don't think that's an unreasonable thing to ask for." said Mel. Soda wrapped his arm protectively around her waist and hugged her.

"No, not at all." he said reassuringly.


	17. The Day Before

it was about one in the morning and Darry was awake, trying to decide what to get the twins for their birthday. it was only less than a week away and he wanted it to be special seeing as it was their first without their mom and dad.

And then it hit him. he silently got out of bed and walked over to his closet. he pulled out a box and fished around inside until he found what he was looking for. content with his discovery, he hid the box and returned to his bed and fell fast asleep.

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Melody had a lot on her mind. She was in the second week of her suspension, she and Soda would be seventeen the next day and she still hadn't told anyone about her and Dal yet, like she promised Two-Bit. Things were unbelievably stressful.

But for now she was working, meaning she could concentrate on doing something so loves and getting paid for it, without all her other problems bothering her…until she got home that is.

At the moment she was working on a rusted pick-up with a broken fuel pump and fan belt. It was a heap of junk…but somehow she managed to salvage what was left of it. Once the owner drove away, Mel wiped the sweat off her forehead and went inside to the office. there she saw her brother with his feet up on the table, slowly sipping a soda. he laughed at the look of total exhaustion on her face and tossed her a bottle. she caught it easily and shoved his feet off before sitting up on the desk.

"You ready to go?" asked Soda. Mel looked at him strangely. Soda pointed to the clock above them. Mel honestly didn't know where the time had gone, it was time for them to finish up and head home.

After locking up the two siblings walked home together. Soda could sense that something wasn't right with her. she was too quiet.

"what are you thinking about?" he asked, snapping he3r out of the trance-like state she was it.

"huh? what?" she asked. Soda shook his head.

"what's up with you lately?" he asked. "you seem to be drifting off into space…more than usual anyway."

"its kinda complicated." said Mel.

"I'll try to keep up." smirked Soda. Mel knew she had to tell him now. she took a deep breath and opened her mouth to talk but stopped when a familiar red mustang drove by. Mel remembered that it was the same one that she had seen that day with Dally. when it was gone, they realized that they were home.

"We'll talk later on ok?" asked Soda. Mel nodded and they walked inside.

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After dinner Ponyboy and Darry were being very secretive, most likely to do with the twins birthday tomorrow and were hiding away in Darry's bedroom. While Sodapop tried to listen to what was going on, Mel sat on the couch reading a book when she started drifting off to sleep. she vaguely remembered Soda giving up his spy mission and coming to sit next to her on the couch. after a while Soda decided to go to bed. He tried waking his sister up, even though he knew it was no use. in the end he carried her to her room and put her to bed before passing out as soon as his body hit the mattress.

Meanwhile, the other two Curtis brothers were still in Darry's room.

"Do you think they'll like it, Ponyboy?" asked Darry hopefully.

"they're gonna love it." said Pony.


	18. Birthday Part 1

"Melody Jean Curtis, get your skinny butt up!" said Soda, jumping up and down on his sister's bed.

"Shove off, Soda." said a mumbled voice from under the pillows. Soda smiled evilly as he ripped the covers away from Melody. If looks could kill, Soda would have died about thirty times or so.

"Do you have a death wish?" Mel asked. But even immature death threats from his sister wouldn't dampen Soda's spirits today.

"Aw, come on sis. It's our birthday!" whined Soda.

"No." said Mel.

"Yes. Now get up!" retorted Soda, hitting her on her thigh. Mel groaned.

"God, you're annoying." she said, slowly getting off her mattress and followed her twin out the door.

"Aw, I love you too." he said, pouting his lips, making a kissing noise, before bouncing down the hallway. She couldn't help but laugh, although she didn't know what she was laughing at; His enthusiasm or his stupidity.

"Honestly Pepsi-Cola, it's hard to know that you're now seventeen. You're acting like your six again." said Mel. Soda stopped bouncing for a brief moment, looking like he was deep in thought.

"Ah yes, the wonderful age of six. One of the best years of my life." he said dreamily. Mel walked past him and slapped him on the head. When they got to the kitchen, Darry and Ponyboy were already up and making breakfast.

"Happy Birthday." chorused Darry and Ponyboy. After receiving hugs from their siblings, the twins were told to sit down and relax. Because it was their birthday, they were excused from doing the dishes or preparing meals for the day.

"Soda will you stop bouncing around like that. You're acting like a damn pogo stick." said Darry. Soda grinned sheepishly and sat down next to Mel as Pony brought them both a glass of chocolate milk to the table, along with a plate of food that Darry fixed up for them.

"Anyone home?" came Two-Bit's voice from the doorway.

"In here." shouted Darry as Two-Bit and Johnny walked into the kitchen.

"Happy Birthday Guys!" smiled Two-Bit.

"Thanks Two-Bit." the twins said in unison.

"Oh so these are the freaky twin mind powers Pony's been telling me about." said Johnny. Soda and Mel laughed. Two-Bit sat down at the table.

"Wow, seventeen, you guys are getting old!" he said, snatching a piece of toast from Mel's plate. Before he had the chance to eat it, Mel snatched it back.

"Yeah… we're catching up to you." she said, taking a bit out of the toast. After a while, Darry looked at his watch and got up from the table.

"I've gotta get to work." said Darry. "Pony, Johnny come on I'll give you a ride to school."

Ponyboy and Johnny said goodbye to everyone and followed the eldest Curtis out of the house.

"You two not working today?" asked Two-Bit. Melody and Soda shook their heads. Two-Bit's smile broadened.

"Good, go get dressed." he ordered.

"Why?" asked Soda.

"Because I'm taking you guys out for the day." said Two-Bit. So they finished their breakfast, with help from Two-Bit of course, got dressed and left the house.

"So what are we gonna do?" asked Soda.

"Well, I was planning on going to the Dingo for lunch, but it's too early for that…I hadn't really thought that far ahead yet." admitted Two-Bit.

"So this was just a plan to get us out of the house?" asked Mel. Two-Bit nodded.

"Pretty Much, yeah." he said.

"Works for me." shrugged Soda. Mel nodded in agreement as they kept walking. They walked along the streets, just talking and laughing when they arrived at the old playground.

"I haven't been here for years." said Soda. Mel smiled and raced over to the swing set.

"Remember how we used to race to see how high we'd get?" asked Soda, sitting on the other swing. Mel nodded at the happy memory. But unknown to the other two, those swings held more that one happy memory for her.

"Two-Bit, will you push me on the swings?" asked Mel, using a baby voice. Two-Bit laughed and began to push his best friend.

"Higher Two-Bit!" squealed Melody. Soda was laughing so much he almost fell off the swing. A habit that was occurring all too often now!

after a while, both of Two-Bits arms were sore from pushing, seeing as Soda either felt left out or couldn't be bothered pushing himself, so he went and hoisted himself up onto the top of the jungle gym, and sat there.

"Wanna go on the slide?" asked Soda. Mel nodded and took his hand as they made their way to the slide. Soda sat down on the top of the slide and lifted his sister onto his lap. With a push, they went down the slide together, coming out the other end and falling to the ground laughing.

This scene repeated itself over and over until they realized that it was time for lunch. They left the playground, dusting all the dirt off their clothes and went to the dingo.

Surprisingly, it wasn't as busy as usual, which was good because that meant that they could get their favourite booth to sit in. Kathy, Two-Bit's on-off, mostly on girlfriend was working their today. She saw the three of them and went over to the booth.

"Hey guys." she smiled.

"Hey Kathy." smiled Mel. Mel always liked Kathy, she was a great person and they got on well, perfect for Two-Bit in Mel's opinion.

"Babe, I didn't know you were working here today." said Two-Bit.

"Yeah, Ginny's little brother was jumped last night, she's at home looking after him now, asked me if I could work her shift."

"Is he alright?" asked Mel. She remembered Ginny's ten year old brother, Tommy. Good kid.

"Yeah, he'll be ok, just a bit shaken up is all." explained Kathy. "What are you guys doing here anyway?"

"Taking my favourite twins out for their birthday." said Two-Bit, putting one arm around each of the twins.

"Wow, Happy Birthday guys." smiled Kathy. "I'll be right back with some drinks for you."

"Favourite Twins? We're the only twins you know." said Soda.

"All the more reason for you to be my favourite." smiled Two-Bit. They ate and talked and laughed for hours until it was late in the afternoon, almost evening. They said goodbye to Kathy, Soda and Mel invited her to come to their house that night for their birthday, but she politely declined, saying she wished she could but had to work another shift.

By the time they got back to the Curtis house, it was almost dark.

Walking up the front porch steps, they could hear music and loud voices coming from inside. They opened the door and were amazed at what they saw.


	19. Birthday Part 2

**A/N: Hey All. I would just like to point out quickly that i know that cassette tapes were introduced to the USA in 1964, but anyway The Curtis Family has a cassette recorder ok? good. And secondly i dont own the song Lullaby (Goodnight My Angel). that belongs to the very talented Billy Joel. I just changed the word Angel to Angels to be relevant to the story ...ok enjoy Birthday Part 2 !**

The house had been decorated in streamers and a few balloons. It was nothing extravagant, but it really made it look like a birthday party, and that's all that Mel and Soda wanted. The whole gang was there waiting for them to arrive. When they saw them, a loud chorus of 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' filled the room.

"You guys didn't have to decorate or anything." said Soda.

"But we wanted to." said Pony.

"Ok, they're here, so now we can get this party started!" said Steve.

Everyone was in the backyard. Like Darry said, they had a bonfire, Two-Bit supplied heaps of booze and they were playing music and dancing and just being teenagers. Everyone was having a great time, even Dally. Mel and pony were dancing and having fun when Darry called everyone inside for a little while.

The eight greasers were gathered in the living room when Darry and Ponyboy went into the bedroom for a minute, and returned with a parcel. The twins looked sternly at their brothers

"I thought we agreed on no gifts." said Mel. Ponyboy shrugged innocently as Darry passed the gift to Soda.

"We wanted to get you something, but had no idea. However I think this would be appropriate." said Darry. Soda and Mel took one end each and opened the parcel inside was a cassette tape.

"What's this?" asked Mel.

"Play it." said Darry. The twins looked confused but handed the tape to Ponyboy who put it in the tape player.

When he pressed the 'play' button, a tune filled the room, that was significant to Mel and Soda. Their eyes went wide as they realized what it was.

"Is that…" asked Soda. Darry Nodded.

"What is it?" asked Johnny. By now tears were falling from Mel's eyes.

"It's the lullaby that dad made up for us when we were little." she said. And sure enough, a familiar voice could be heard.

"It's dad." whispered Soda. He held his sister close as their beloved father began singing.

_Goodnight my angels, time to close your eyes,  
And save these questions for another day.  
I think I know what you've been asking me,  
I think you know what I've been trying to say.  
I promised I would never leave you,  
Then you should always know  
Wherever you may go,  
no matter where you are  
I never will be far away.  
Goodnight my angels, now it's time to sleep,  
And still so many things I want to say.  
Remember all the songs you sang for me,  
When we went sailing on an emerald bay.  
And like a boat out on the ocean,  
I'm rocking you to sleep  
The water's dark and deep,  
inside this ancient heart  
You'll always be a part of me._

Goodnight my angels, now it's time to dream,  
And dream how wonderful your life will be.  
Someday your child may cry,  
and if you sing this lullaby,  
Then in your heart  
there will always be a part of me.  
Someday we'll all be gone

_But lullabies go on and on  
They never die  
That's how you and I will be_

"Darry, how did you…" asked Soda.

"I asked Dad to record it a while back." Darry said. Mel got up and hugged her brother.

"This is amazing Darry, thank you so much." she sobbed.

"Don't mention it." he smiled, kissing her forehead.

"…who wants cake?" asked Two-Bit. Everyone laughed. Dal grabbed a couch cushion and threw it at him.

"I guess he's right. Let's have the cake." said Darry. So they all gathered around the kitchen table where Melody and Soda sat side by side. The lights were dimmed and Pony walked to them carrying a huge chocolate cake with seventeen bright candles on it.

'_Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday Mel and Soda. Happy birthday to you.'_

Soda took his sister's hand and after making a wish, they closed their eyes and blew out their seventeen birthday candles together.

By the end of the night, everyone was trashed. Darry had gone to bed a while back; everyone was surprised at how late he stayed. Ponyboy and Johnny were asleep on Pony and Soda's bed. Two-Bit was passed out in the backyard by the now dead bonfire, surrounded by empty beer bottles, most his own. Steve had fallen asleep on Mel's bed and Soda on the floor of her room. The only two that were still up were Melody and Dallas.

"Well everyone's gonna be a joy to get up in the morning." said Mel sarcastically, picking up the broken streamers that were now in tatters at her feet. Dally sat on the couch and pulled Mel down next to him.

"After all the excitement tonight…I forgot to give you your birthday present." said Dal.

"you didn't have to get my anything Dal." she said.

"well I did and there's nothing you can do about it." teased Dal.

"Besides, if you wanna get technical, I didn't have to buy anything." he said. "Now Turn around and close your eyes." Mel looked at him strangely but tuned around anyway.

"Ok, you can look." said Dal. Mel looked down and there, hanging around her neck on a silver chain, was Dally's ring.

"Dally…I…I don't…know what to say." stuttered Mel.

"Say you'll be my girl…officially." said Dal. Melody smiled and Kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Yes, I'll be your girl." said Mel. She kissed him once again before they settled down and fell asleep.


	20. I Dare You To

Soda woke up the next morning and yawned. He got up off the floor and saw Steve snoring his head off on Melody's bed. Soda grinned and threw a pillow at his best friend.

"What the hell Soda?" Steve asked in an annoyed tone. Soda laughed and jumped up in an attempt to dodge the punches that his best friend was trying to throw at him. Soda got up and went to see who else was up. He quietly looked in his room and saw Ponyboy and Johnny fast asleep. He smiled and closed the door.

Steve now stood beside him, rubbing his eyes sleepily as they walked out into the living room and saw Melody and Dallas asleep together on the couch. Dal's jacket was over them like a blanket and he had his arm around her. But to Soda and Steve, it wasn't out of the ordinary to see them like that.

"Should we wake them?" Soda asked.

"And risk having our asses kicked by either one? No Way!" Steve said. Soda had to agree with him. They might have a hangover…or they might just be really pissed if they woke up.

Steve went to go raid the icebox for something to eat but Soda took another look at the sleeping pair on the couch. Something about them together looked right to him but he didn't know why.

'_it's not like they're together or anything.' _Soda thought to himself.

He simply shrugged it off and went to the kitchen. When he went to the kitchen he saw Steve laughing at something outside. Soda walked over to the window and saw Two-Bit passed out on the lawn. He laughed and then grabbed the chocolate cake from Steve's hands and went and sat at the table.

"Man that was some party last night." Steve said smiling.

"Yeah." agreed Soda, fiddling with the camera on the table.

"Who knows how many crazy shots were taken." He said.

"Yeah well if Two-Bit had anything to do with it…" Steve started.

"You rang?" Two-Bit said, walking in through the back door.

"I was wondering if I was gonna have to go and scrape you off the lawn." Soda laughed.

"I'm pushing the thought of a hangover to the back of my mind. If all goes well…I may just skip it." Two-Bit said. Soda and Steve tried to contain their laughter.

"Right…and how's that working for ya?" Steve asked.

"…Not so good." Two-Bit admitted, rubbing his head and sitting down.

Meanwhile in the living room Melody woke up. She yawned and looped up into Dally's lue eyes.

"Morning." He said.

"Morning." Mel replied, reaching up and kissing him.

"Right…and how's that working for ya?" they heard Steve ask. Mel sighed.

"we probably should get up." She said. Dal nodded and they got up off the couch. Mel made sure that Dal's ring around her neck, was safely hidden under her t-shirt before they walked into the kitchen.

"Morning." Steve smiled. Mel walked over to the table and stood near Two-Bit. He put his chocolate cake down and pulled her onto his lap.

"So what have we all got planned for today?" Soda asked. Everyone shrugged their shoulders. Two-Bit groaned and rested his head on the table.

"Bit hung over there Two-Bit?!" Mel said loudly in his ear. Two-Bit flinched at the loud noise.

"You're a cruel person Melody Curtis." He scolded.

"you know you love me." She smiled.

"that's the problem." He said. Mel giggled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"I'm sorry, honey." She said.

"Yeah, yeah." Two-Bit said rolling his eyes.

"Hey Mel, truth or dare?" Steve asked.

"Dare." Mel said without hesitation. Steve grinned. This was gonna be interesting.

"I dare you to kiss Dally." He said. Everyone stopped and looked at him then at Mel and finally Dal.

"And it can't be on the cheek. You have to really kiss." Steve added.

"Aw man, do I have to?" Mel asked.

"well it's either Dal or Two-Bit." Steve said.

"Dal, get over here." Mel said. Two-Bit pretended to be offended.

"Too bad Two-Bit." Soda laughed, patting him on the back. Mel grabbed Dally by the shirt and kissed him, making Steve and Soda whistle. They pulled apart as Johnny and Ponyboy got up.

"What's going on?" Ponyboy asked.

"Truth or Dare." Soda said. "Steve dared Mel to kiss Dally."

Pony nodded and grabbed himself a glass of chocolate milk from the refrigerator.


	21. I Tried to

"I seriously cannot wait until we're out of this place." Steve said. It was lunchtime at school and Melody's second day back after her suspension. Ponyboy and Johnny were sitting on the grass while Steve, Two-Bit and Mel were lying on Two-Bit's car just relaxing before they had to go back to class.

"just think about it. It just over a year, we're outta this place." Mel said.

"except for Two-Bit." Steve laughed.

"hey!" Two-Bit said. Everyone laughed at him while he sulked.

"simple honey…actually graduate with us!" Melody suggested.

"I don't know…why would I wanna leave all this?" he asked, gesturing around him.

"why wouldn't you?" Steve asked. Mel laughed and closed her eyes, quietly humming to herself. In a bid to keep her promise to Two-Bit, she had planned to tell her brothers about her and Dally that morning, since Dally was giving her a ride to school that morning. But once again, Sodapop was running late for work and Darry was giving him a lift so she never got the chance.

_Flashback – That Morning at the Curtis House._

"_Where the hell are my jeans!" Soda yelled from his bedroom. Mel was leaning against the wall, waiting for a spare moment to talk to Darry._

"_Darry?" she asked nervously._

"_yeah?" he said, not really paying much attention._

"_can I talk to you for a sec?" she asked. Darry continued looking for his work stuff, searching all over the house, with Mel following him every step._

"_Sure." Darry said. Mel took a deep breath and thought of how she was gonna tell him._

"_Well you see I sorta have been…" _

"_Come on Darry, We're gonna be late!" Soda said running out the door. He stopped, raced back inside, kissed his sister's cheek and ran back out again._

"_what were you saying?" Darry asked. Before Mel could talk, Soda was beating on the horn and yelling for Darry to hurry up._

"_Hon, I've gotta go…can we talk later?" Darry asked. Mel nodded._

"_yeah…no problem." She said. Darry kissed her head and left. Mel sighed and sat on the arm of the armchair as Dally came in._

"_Hey." He said, sitting in the armchair. "Did you tell them?" he asked. Mel shook her head. Dally wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her onto his lap._

"_I was just about to when they had to leave for work. So close." She said._

"_What about tonight?" Dally suggested._

"_Darry's working late and Soda and Ponyboy are going out." Mel said._

"_so you're gonna be here alone?" dally asked._

"_yeah I guess." Mel shrugged. _

"_so you won't mind if I drop by then?" he asked._

"_not at all." Mel smiled. He quickly kissed her lips just before Ponyboy came out of his room. Mel jumped up and grabbed her bag._

"_ready kid?" she asked him._

"_yeah." Pony said. They grabbed their stuff and left the house._

_End Flashback._

"Mel?" said Steve. Mel snapped out of her daze and saw Steve standing next to the car.

"huh…yeah?" she asked.

"Come on, time for class…you must have zoned out again." He said, taking her hand and pulling her off the car.


	22. Now I Run

**A/N: the song in this chapter is called "Now I Run" by Australian Artist, Shannon Noll. It was written about his late father whom he loved so much. I strongly recommend listening to it. So I don't actually own it, however, like previous chapters, I changed some of the lyrics to go with the story. Hope you enjoy. R&R please.**

Melody waved goodbye to Two-Bit as he honked the horn and drove off down the road. She flicked her cigarette butt in the garden, went inside and sighed as she threw her bag on the floor.

School was maddening as hell. Her teachers were driving her crazy and classes were boring all day, except for her history class, only because she spent the entire time messing around with Steve and Two-Bit and of course, her English lesson. That was her chance to let her imagination run free and write whatever she wanted. Her teacher, Mr. Syme was usually very impressed with her work. He kept telling her that she held a bright and promising future. She never believed him.

Mel kicked off her shoes and walked to the kitchen to get a glass of chocolate milk. Once again, Darry was working late tonight. She knew that he was doing it so he would have enough money to support them but she still thought that he needed to relax once in a while and have some fun…or at lease more than one night off per week!

After picking up all the clothes from the bedrooms, Mel did the washing and some ironing, to save Darry having to do it when he got home from work.

Once her room was tidy…well, tidier anyway, Mel grabbed her guitar and notebook from under her bed and sat on the couch. While looking through their photo album last week, Mel found the inspiration to write a song about her dad. She had written heaps about her parents, but this one was just some memories she had with her and her dad.

Her parents were two of the most amazing people that had ever lived, in Melody's opinion. They always took care of them and the guys. Everyone in the gang loved them, even Dallas.

Mel saw so much of her father in Darry. She sometimes had to do a double take. No wonder people used to mistake them for brothers…except for their eyes. Mel reckoned there was more of her mother in Sodapop. Always looking out for them all no matter what kind of trouble they were in, and boy was there all kinds. Ponyboy and herself had a mix of each. But were mostly their own people, both with the same things in common.

Mel strummed the guitar absentmindedly as she finished the last of the lyrics on the page. When she was done she figured out a tune to set the song to.

_Tell me how the circle ends  
There's no beginning  
Everything that came before  
Will come round again  
And I look in the mirror  
My father's eyes look back at me_

He gave me a road to choose  
He gave me freedom  
And I pray I'm strong enough  
To walk in his shoes  
And I hope that I become  
Half the girl he'd want me to be

Cos I feel you guiding me  
Showing me the way when I'm misdirected  
I know you not here but I feel connected

Cos everything that I am  
Comes from a better man  
And all that I've said and done  
Cant rewrite my history  
Right there for all to see  
I'm daddy's little one  
Taught me to walk, now I run  
Now I run

Sometimes when I lose myself  
In my weakness  
I can feel the touch of his  
Unmistakable hands  
And they're pushing me forward  
Back into the circle again

And I hope he sees in me  
The kind of girl that he wanted me to be

And everything that I am  
comes from a better man  
And all that I've said and I've done  
Cant rewrite my history  
Right there for all to see  
I'm daddy's little one  
Taught me to walk, now I run  
I run

He's the best and the worst of me  
Sometimes I don't know where my common sense is  
I may be a sinner but my best defence is

everything that I am  
Comes from a better man  
And all that I've said and done  
Cant rewrite my history  
Right there for all to see  
I'm daddy's little one  
Taught me to walk, now I run  
yeah

_I'm daddy's little one_

_Taught me to walk now I run_

Mel smiled in approval as she took her stuff back to her room and grabbed one of Ponyboy's books to read before falling back onto the couch. She absentmindedly pulled at the ripped hole in her jeans, while she was reading. After finishing about a third of it, Mel felt her eyes grow heavy and decided to rest for a minute. She curled up against the back of the couch, bringing her knees up towards her and closed her eyes.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Hey Kid…wake up." said a voice. Mel felt someone shake her shoulder. She opened her eyes and saw Dally sitting on the couch beside her. Mel rubbed her eyes and smiled back at him.

"Hey." She said.

"How long have you been asleep there?" Dal asked, an amused look on his face.

"I don't know. what time is it?" Mel asked. Dal shrugged his shoulders.

"Six…probably closer to seven." He said. Mel's eyes grew wide with shock.

"Shit, I've been asleep for hours!" she said. She got up off the couch and went to the kitchen, with Dally close behind. She thought of something, and turned to face him.

"By the way," she said, pulling his face closer to hers and kissing him.

"You hungry?" she asked him, once they both pulled away for air.

"Yeah, actually." Dal said. Mel pointed to the empty kitchen table. Dal sat down while Mel made then a couple of burgers for dinner.

After dinner they sat on the couch together for awhile when a very heated make out session began.

Dally attacked her lips furiously. Mel wrapped her arms around his neck as Dal continued to kiss her. He moved his hand under the back of her shirt, resting it on the small of her back.

"WHAT THE HELL?!"


	23. WHAT THE HELL?

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

Mel and Dally pulled apart instantly and saw Darry standing in the doorway looing furious. It honestly scared Mel; she'd never really seen him like this.

"Darry it's not what you think…" started Dal.

"Oh really and what do I think?" accused Darry. Both teens were at a loss for words.

"I should go." said Dally. Mel nodded quietly. He grabbed his jacket and after a sly wink at Mel, left the house in a flash before Darry could get to him.

"Thanks a lot Darry." said a now furious Mel.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Darry screamed.

"What's going on?" asked Ponyboy as he and Soda appeared at the door.

"I caught your sister and Dallas on the couch together, making out." snapped Darry.

"I KNEW IT!" Soda exclaimed, but he stopped after the look Darry sent him.

"Exactly we were _making out_, you're making it seem a whole lot worse." said Mel.

"You shouldn't be with someone like Dallas Winston." Darry scolded. Mel couldn't believe what she just heard.

"What?! So you don't mind that he's one of my best friends…has been for…I dont even remember how long…but when I actually like him and want to be with him…its forbidden or something?" she asked.

"Damn straight."

"I don't believe you Darry, you can't tell me who I can and can't be with."

"Yes I can."

"No you can't. Because guess what Darry, no matter how hard you try, you're not dad!" screamed Mel and with that, she ran out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

She could hear her brothers yelling after her, but she didn't care. She just kept running. Eventually, her running turned into a fast-paced walk and she found herself at the lot, tears streaming down her face. She was walking so fast that she failed to see Dally sitting on the curb. He took one look at her and jumped up to grab her. He wrapped his arm around her but she resisted.

"Hey kid, it's me. It's Dally." he said as she finally calmed down and collapsed against his body, finally giving in and started crying. He pulled them down to the curb and lit a cigarette before handing it to her.

"I'm guessing they didn't take it very well." he said. Mel scoffed.

"You saw Darry's reaction. I was afraid of this Dal, I was afraid that he would react like this. He kept going on about how I shouldn't be with someone like you." cried Mel, handing the cigarette back.

"You know, he's probably right. You deserve better than someone like Me." said Dal. Mel couldn't believe she has hearing this.

"Stop it." she said.

"It's true. There are so many guys out there who could give you a whole lot more that a no good hood like myself can give you." said Dal.

"Stop being such a stubborn ass and listen to me. Don't you get it? I don't care! There could be a hundred guys better for me than you. But that's the thing. They aren't you. They could never be anything like you." Mel said, resting her hand on his cheek.

"I don't care what anyone else says, especially Darry. It's not about what he wants it's about what I want…and I want you. I don't care if you're a no good hood…I wouldn't have it any other way." said Mel. Dal sighed.

"You're right…I really do hate that." He said. Mel smiled at him. He lifted her chin up and placed a quick kiss on her lips.

"Come on, we better get you home. I'm already in trouble with your brother." Dal said, flicking the cigarette butt into the gutter. They got up and walked in the direction of the Curtis house.

They were walking in a comfortable silence when a car pulled up beside them. But not just any car … a shiny red mustang.

"Well what we have got here." said a soc, getting out of the car. A couple of others followed suit. Dally recognised one as Andrew Greene.

"A couple of greasers out all alone." said another. Greene, clearly their leader, started circling Mel. Dal tightened his grip around her waist.

"The broad looks kinda cute." Greene said, looking Mel up and down. A deep growl escaped Dal's throat.

"Keep your fucking hands away from her, Greene!" snarled Dally.

"A little feisty tonight aren't we, Winston?" asked Greene. "And all over a little piece of trash like her?" Greene retorted, lifting Melody's chin up with a finger, as if examining her face. Anger flared up inside Dal as his eyes turned a piercing shade of icy blue.

"Why don't you and your boyfriends get the hell off out turf." he ordered through gritted teeth. Greene just smiled evilly and gave a nod to his friends who in turn, punched Dal in the stomach, causing him to unwillingly release his hold on Melody.

Greene grabbed Melody and pulled her over to the car by her hair, pinning her against the bonnet. She screamed but Greene only covered her mouth.

"Let her go Greene!" shouted Dal as he struggled getting up off the ground.

Greene forcefully kissed her neck and moved his hand along her thigh. She struggled against his grip but Greene pulled out a blade.

"You don't wanna be doing that, or I'm gonna slip and cut that pretty little face of yours." He said, tracing the blade across her neck, leaving a small trail of blood from where he cut her.

Mel was rendered helpless. she looked over to Dal. it almost killed him seeing her there. he felt weak and powerless, something he wasn't accustomed to. Mel had had enough. With a quick movement, she kneed Greene in the stomach, but he didn't fall down. Instead, he slapped her furiously across the face, causing Mel to fall to the ground in a heap. He was angry now and continually kicked and punched her as she lay on the ground.

Luckily at the time, Two-Bit was walking past when he saw that event take place. at the sight of seeing his best friend being hit, a sudden fit of rage came over him. he raced over and punched the soc that was holding Dally and the two of them chased them off. Once the mustang was out of sight, they turned to see Melody, lying on the ground.

"Oh god, Melody!" said Two-Bit as they both rushed over to her.

"Kid, can you hear me?" asked Dal, pushing her hair out of her eyes, revealing her bruised and swollen face. Two-Bit looked her over when he saw it.

"Shit! Dal, look." He said. Dally looked and saw the wound on Mel's side. Blood was soaking through her shirt.

"Greene must have got her with the blade when she got him." Two-Bit said. Dal carefully lifted her up bridal style.

"Come on, we gotta get her home." he told Two-Bit. They staggered a bit, still knocked around after the fight, but managed to get Melody home safely.

When they walked through the gate, through the window they saw all three Curtis brothers, plus Johnny and Steve looking worried. Two-Bit decided to go in first. everyone looked up when he came in, all focusing on his bloodied lip and black eye.

"Two-Bit, what happened?" asked Johnny. Two-Bit had no time to answer before Darry cut in.

"have you seen…" he started. But he couldn't finish what he was saying after he saw Dally walk in carrying Mel's limp body. At first he didn't recognise her. But as soon as he figured it out he went white as a ghost.

"What the hell happened?" asked Darry as Dal placed Melody gently on the couch. It was then that everyone realized it was Mel.

"I found her by the lot and she told me what happened. I was walking her back here when a car full of socs found us. they jumped me and tried to hurt her." Dal explained. "I don't know what would have happened it Two-Bit didn't show up. She got stabbed in the side." He said. Darry went and got a needle and thread and set to work stitching his sister's wound, cursing under his breath.

Then something strange happened. Soda, who had been sitting on the floor, had gotten up and slammed his fist into the wall.

"Who was it?" he demanded. Dally told him. Soda walked over to the door where Two-Bit was standing. He whispered something to him and the two started to leave.

"Where are you goin?" asked Steve.

"I'm going to go kill those fucking bastards who did this to my sister!" screamed Soda. everyone was shocked at these two outbursts Soda had. Soda normally wouldn't hurt anyone on purpose, but if you messed with his friends or family, especially his twin sister, there was another darker side to him. Nobody knew what could happen, it scared even himself.

"Come on guys, I wanna get these guys too. But right now I think we gotta wait." said Darry, finishing up.

"Yeah, you're right." admitted Two-Bit. Soda looked at his sister lying helplessly on the couch. Her face, lips and neck were cut, her jeans and shirt were torn and ripped and there were bruises on her face and arms. It was then he noticed the silver ring around her neck.

"We should take turns to stay with her." suggested Ponyboy "Dal, can you carry her to her bed?" he asked. Dally nodded and carefully carried her to her room.

"I'll stay with her first." said Darry. "You guys are more than welcome to stay here tonight." he said. everyone nodded.

"Come and get me when you're tired." said Soda. Darry nodded and walked to Mel's room. He passed Dally on the way out. Not even bothering to make eye contact, he entered the room without a sound. Dally just ignored him and joined the others in the living room.

"What made her run away in the first place?" asked Steve.

"She and Darry had this huge fight because he found out about her and Dally." said Soda. Johnny and Steve's mouths dropped to the floor.

"You and Mel?" asked Steve. Dally nodded.

"For how long?" asked Johnny. Dal shrugged.

"A couple of weeks give or take a day or two." said Dal, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. Steve started snickering. Everyone looked at him as if he was deranged.

"What?" asked Johnny.

"I just think its funny, remember when we were saying that the girl really needed to get a boyfriend?" he asked in between laughs.

"Yeah." said Two-Bit.

"All along she already did. We just didn't know it." explained Steve. Ponyboy had been quiet the entire time they were talking. He wished that this whole evening was just one big nightmare and that he would wake up soon. And his siblings wouldn't have had a fight, Mel wouldn't have run away and she wouldn't be in there all black and blue.

The only thing he probably wouldn't change would be the fact that she and Dallas were together. He didn't see what the problem was. I mean sure, Dallas was a hood and was known for being mean and Ponyboy didn't like him that much. But Mel was his best friend. He knew that he wouldn't do anything to harm her. And deep down knew he was an alright guy.

Darry grabbed some stuff from the bathroom and set it on Mel's bedside table. He grabbed an old shirt from the closet and carefully got Mel out of her tattered, blood stained shirt. Then he set to work cleaning her wounds

When he was done and he cleaned up, we pulled a chair over to the bed and sat down. As he watched his baby sister lying there, silent tears fell down his cheeks.


	24. Awakening

Her head was pounding. Her body was aching. She could move. Melody was finding it extremely hard to breathe. She felt as if she had been kicked one too many times. With great difficulty and effort, Melody managed to open her eyes. She was in her room, dressed in what was probably one of Darry's old shirts that she had. Her legs and arms felt like lead. She looked up and saw her brother sitting in a chair by her bed, his head resting in his hands.

"Soda?" Melody asked quietly, her voice hoarse and raspy. Soda's head picked up and he looked at her.

"oh thank god!" he said, getting out of the chair and carefully giving her a hug. Mel flinched at the touch and Soda quickly released her. He jumped up off the floor and raced to the kitchen.

"Guys! She's awake!" he said. The other six greasers, who were in the kitchen, immediately stopped what they were doing and followed Soda.

One by one they all carefully hugged Mel, except for Dally, but Mel didn't need to ask why. He just stood in the doorway with his fists jammed into his pockets.

"So, how you feeling?" Steve asked.

"Like shit." Mel answered honestly. There was a small hint of a grin on her face. This made everyone smile. It was just like Mel to find the funny side of things. Just one of the traits she picked up from Two-Bit over the years.

"What happened?" she asked. Two-Bit explained to her what happened.

"That would explain why I feel and probably look so terrible." Mel said.

"We better let you get some rest sweetie, you've been through hell." Darry said. Everyone began to leave but Mel stopped her twin.

"Soda, do you think you could stay with me for a little while?" Mel asked.

"sure thing." Soda said. Everyone left the room and Soda closed the door before lying down next to Melody.

"you gave us all a hell of a scare last night." Soda said.

"I'm sorry." Mel said quietly, tears running down her cheeks. Soda smiled sympathetically and wiped her tears away gently with his thumb, careful not to hurt her. Mel winced in pain.

"sorry." He said.

"Was Darry really angry?" Mel asked.

"He was at first. But he was so worried when you left. Then when Dally brought you in and we saw you…" he said. Mel could only imagine what she looked like. She only knew how bad she felt.

"…I was so scared Mel. I thought we were gonna lose you like…" Soda couldn't finish. Tears were falling down his cheeks.

"you're not gonna lose me, ok?" she said sternly but sweetly. Soda nodded and kissed Mel's forehead. He ran his fingers through her hair to help calm her down and soon they were both asleep.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Seeing as she had yet to regain most of her strength, Mel was confined to her bed, much to her disappointment. She was praying that she would soon be able to at least rest on the couch, if one of the guys carried her that is.

So there she sat, in her room reading one of her auto magazines when there was a knock at the door. She looked up and saw Darry standing in the doorway.

"hey." smiled Mel.

"hey, can I talk to you?" he asked.

"sure." Mel said. Darry walked over and sat on the bed next to Mel.

"I wanna apologise." He said.

"what for?" wondered Mel.

"I shouldn't have acted like that last night." Darry said.

"Darry you had every right to be angry. I shouldn't have done it." Mel said.

"why didn't you just tell us?" Darry wondered. Mel saw a mixture of emotions in his eyes.

"I was afraid." She admitted.

"Of what?"

"what you would all think or if you would get mad."

"im not mad" Darry said. Mel looked up at him in utter confusion.

"your not?"

"not anymore. But I wish that you came and told me earlier…would have saved all of this."

"I know, I'm sorry." Mel said again. Darry sighed.

"you're my only sister and I don't wanna see you get hurt."

"but im not that little anymore dar."

"don't I know it. But deep down you're still my baby sister. I'm never gonna let anything happen to you." Darry vowed.

"I know." Mel smiled

"Does he make you happy?" he asked.

"yeah he does." Mel said truthfully.

"that's all that matters then." Mel could feel the tears welling up in her eyes.

"I love you superman." She said. Darry smiled and kissed her hand.

"I love you too Mel."


	25. Angela's Visit

"Hey Soda." said a voice. Soda turned around and saw Angela Shepard, leaning against the front gate.

"Hey, Angela, how's it going?" Soda asked.

"Pretty good." She replied. "How's Mel doin'?"

"Yeah, she's getting there. She's in her room if you wanna go see her."

"Thanks Soda." Angela smiled. She shut the gate behind her and went inside. Melody's door was closed so she knocked and waited until Mel shouted out to her. She found her friend sitting on her bed reading a magazine. Melody looked up and was relieved to see Angela.

"Man, am I glad to see you." She said. Angela smiled

"Really?" she asked mockingly. Melody nodded.

"You try being stuck here all day with those guys out there. And you can only read one magazine so many times." She said, tossing the magazine across the room.

"Still can't walk properly?" Angela wondered.

"I can walk to certain places like the bathroom and such by myself. But you know how Darry is, he won't let me…its annoying the hell outta me. I gotta get one of the guys to carry me out to the couch when I wanna leave the room." Mel sighed. Angela laughed and sat down on the bed.

"So tell me, what's going on with the outside world?" Mel wondered. Angela shrugged.

"Not much. Tim and Curly have been wondering how you are, believe it or not, although they would never actually say It." she said. This made Mel smile.

"Stupid stubborn hoodlums with their stupid pride." she mumbled.

"Cant disagree with you there." Angela laughed.

"Speaking of stubborn hoodlums," she said. "What's with you and Dallas?" Mel sighed and told Angela the story. When she was done, Angela looked speechless.

"Come on, Angel, say something." Mel said.

"It's about damn time!" her friend said, hitting Melody with a pillow. "Seriously, watching you both over the years, I was starting to wonder if it would ever happen."

"Why does everybody keep saying that?" Mel wondered.

"Probably 'cause it's the truth." Angela said.

"I'm just glad that the guys were alright about it…well, except for Darry's first reaction but that was to be expected." Mel shrugged.

"They're talking about getting even with the socs somehow." Angela said.

"Yeah, I know." Mel said quietly.

"Tim was talking to some of the guys the other night at Bucks. He was mighty angry about it all. Saying he wants to help get even with them bastards who did this to you. Nothing's really happened like this before, Mel. None of us girls have ever been jumped." Angela said. Melody nodded.

"You know me, never one to follow the crowd." She said, trying to lighten up the situation…but it wasn't really working.

"I just don't want them pulling some crazy shit and making everything worse." She sighed.

"Face it Mel, you're the one thing that keeps those boys together. Even my brothers listen to you." Angela said. "They're all crazy enough to pull some kind of stunt to defend you." Mel sighed.

"I know…that's what worries me." She admitted.

oOoOoOoOo

Angela stayed for a while, but had to get home before Tim could get mighty angry with her. She promised Mel that she would say hi to the boys for her. A little while after she left, there was another knock on Mel's door.

"Yeah?" Mel called out. The door opened and soda walked in.

"Hey." He said, sitting down on the bed.

"Hey. What's up?" Mel asked.

"I wanted to talk to you… about those guys…who did this to you." He said, indicating to her bruised face and the now permanent scar along her neck. Melody sighed.

"What about them?" she asked, knowing all too well what he was gonna say.

"We need to get even with them Mel. They did this to you and we wanna get 'em for it." Soda said.

"No." Mel said simply.

"Why not? Give me one good reason why not." Soda said.

"Because it ain't gonna make no difference, Soda. Even if you guys did tell them what for…that won't change things. It won't change the fact that they already did this…it doesn't matter." Melody said.

"God Damn it Melody… it matters to me! You're my sister! That's why I want to fight them!" Soda yelled.

"And you're my brother, that's why I don't want you to fight them!" Melody yelled back.

"Come on Mel, you know I'm a good…"

"I know you're a good fighter, Soda. But, I don't know, I just don't think that I'm a good enough reason for you lot to get hauled in or hurt. I'm not worth that." Mel said.

"Jesus, Mel, don't you get it, do you?" soda said. "You're worth everything to me…and the guys."

"You guys are all I got left, Soda. I don't wanna have to see you all go out and fight…then come home and I'll have to be the one who pieces the lot of you back together." Mel said. Soda sighed.

"Fine! I promise I won't start a fight…but if one starts and I happen to be there…it's not my fault." Soda said.

"Soda…" Mel warned.

"Coming Steve!" Soda said, jumping off the bed and running outside.

"SODAPOP PATRICK CURTIS GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!" she screamed. He ran out of the room and almost collided with Dallas.

"Did I miss something?" he asked.

"No…just me hating my brother." Mel said simply. Dal nodded as Mel got out of bed.

"Oh no you don't." He said, scooping her up in his arms.

"What the hell…?" Mel started.

"You really want your brother to yell at you for walking around?" he asked. Melody rolled her eyes.

"That's what I thought." Dal said as he carried her out to the living room.

Mel saw that Soda, Two-Bit and Steve all had a playing card on their head.

"What the fuck…" Dally asked, sitting down next to Melody on the couch.

"They're trying to see how long it can stay there." Ponyboy said in a bored tone of voice, not even looking up from his book.

"Knowing two-bit he'd probably glue it there." Johnny said.

"Who says I haven't?" two-bit wondered.

"Please tell me you didn't." Mel said. Two-bit grinned sheepishly.

"Oh my god." Mel laughed.

"Relax babe…I couldn't get the top off the glue." Two-bit said. Mel sighed in frustration and hid her face in Dally's chest.

"Why are all my friends completely crazy?" she asked.

"Just lucky I guess." Steve shrugged.

The three of them stayed like that for majority of the afternoon. When Darry came home he saw them and pointed to them questioningly.

"You don't wanna know." Mel said. Darry rolled his eyes and headed to the kitchen.

**A/N: Hello Everyone! So sorry that it has taken me so long to update but I've been struggling for ideas.**

**Do you think that the gang should get even with Andrew Greene and the socs who did this to Melody? How?…I'd love some ideas.**

**I laughed so much when I wrote the card bit. My best friend actually gave me the idea. I went over to my friends house one night for a movie marathon and he, along with about six other friends, were seeing who could keep the card on their face the longest. He's also obsessed with the Outsiders like I am so he suggested that I put in it here…although he wanted Two-Bit to glue it on his face. Oh well.**


	26. Tell You What

The last bell rang and Mel jumped out of her seat as fast as she could. Two-Bit and Steve did too but Two-Bit was stopped by the teacher and asked to stay behind. Mel sent him an apologetic glance before pulling Steve, who was in hysterics, out of the classroom.

"End of the day…finally!" Steve said, throwing everything into his locker. Mel nodded and sighed. She packed her English work into her bag before slamming the locker door shut. They heard the familiar sound of Two-Bit muttering and laughing under his breath as he made his way over to them.

"How many detentions this time, Two-Bit?" Mel asked, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Just the two. But I know that deep down she wanted to give me more." Two-Bit laughed.

"I still don't understand why you got two detentions for passing notes." Steve said, trying to perfect the masses of complicated swirls in his hair.

"I still don't understand why you had to tear out a page from your text book just to write me a note." Melody said.

"Whatever. Let's just get out of here." Two-Bit said. The three walked through the hallways until they stopped at a poster.

"Hey, look. There's a dance coming up in a couple of months." Steve said, reading the notice aloud.

"Awesome!" Two-Bit said as they made their way outside to the car.

"I'm just gonna have to drop you both and run." Steve said as he started the car. "I've gotta go and work on _someone's_ car."

"Not my fault the thing hates me." Two-Bit said defensively. Melody shook her head and laughed.

The two waved goodbye to Steve as he sped off down the street. Knowing the house was unlocked, Two-Bit just walked in and headed straight for the kitchen. Mel tossed her bag in her room, unsure of where it landed, exactly, and collapsed on the couch.

"Want a beer?" Two-Bit called out from the kitchen.

"Love one. I think there's some more out the back. Can you refill the fridge?" Mel asked, kicking her shoes off and stretching out on the couch.

"Sure thing." Two-Bit called out. Mel heard the backdoor slam shut when the phone rang.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Two-Bit came in with a couple of beers and sat down next to Mel on the couch.

"You mom just called." Mel said, accepting a beer off Two-Bit.

"She did?" he wondered. Mel nodded and took a sip of her beer.

"Yeah, she wanted me to tell you that she's working late tonight and working a double shift tomorrow." She explained.

"Not fair." Two-Bit mumbled under his breath.

"Yeah I know. So do you wanna ditch school with me tomorrow and help clean your house?" Mel asked. Two-Bit shrugged his shoulders.

"Got nothing better to do…why not." He said.

"Oh darn, means you'll miss out on your first detention." Mel said sarcastically.

"Oh No! Whatever shall I do? My life is over!" Two-Bit said. Mel laughed at his immaturity.

"Seriously though, I'm up for it." He said.

Ponyboy, Darry and Soda came home just before dinner and were completely exhausted. Mel made a quick and easy dinner while the other three relaxed in the living room. After dinner they all just kicked back playing a few rounds of Poker and relaxed.

"Alright, I'm heading off to bed." Darry said. "Make sure Ponyboy finishes his math for the test tomorrow and that he gets to bed on time." The twins nodded as Soda dealt out another hand.

"Oh, and Mel?" Darry asked.

"Yeah Dar?" Mel said, shelling her hand properly.

"Get up early tomorrow and I'll take your stitches out, alright?"

"Sure thing Darry. Goodnight." Mel said.

"Anything interesting happen at school?" Soda asked. Mel just shrugged.

"the usual. Two-Bit got a couple of detentions for note passing. Oh, and there's a dance coming up." Mel said.

"A Dance? Alright, sounds pretty cool." Soda said. Mel smiled and laid down her hand.

"read 'em and weep Sodiepop." She said. Soda sighed and threw his cards down on the table in defeat.

"Ponyboy have you finished you're homework?" Mel called out.

"Almost…there." Pony said. Mel got up and went to check it.

"Alright, good. Time for bed." She said. Ponyboy nodded and packed up his work. He said goodnight to his brother and sister and went to bed. Soda and Mel played a few more rounds of cards before getting tired and both going to bed.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Darry woke Melody up at about five the next morning. At first she struggled and didn't want to get up, but eventually gave up and dragged herself out of bed.

She was now waiting for Darry to get some things from the bathroom to help clean her wound and get the stitches out. After a few minutes he returned.

"Remind me again why this couldn't wait until after you got home tonight?" Mel asked, yawning.

"Because I'll be too tired and you'll be off doing something. And then you would tell me to wait." Darry said. Mel sighed and yawned again.

"Alright, get it over with so I can go back to bed." She said. Darry laughed and picked up a pair of scissors. Mel lifted her shirt to expose her stomach and Darry set to work.

"Ouch! Jeez, Darry!" Mel said, wincing in pain.

"Sorry, Mel." Darry said as he continued pulling out her stitches. After a few painful minutes, he was done.

"There, all done." Darry said. Mel smiled and pulled her shirt back down.

"Thank you…now can I go back to bed?" she asked sleepily. Darry laughed quietly and nodded. Mel started to walk back to her room when she stopped.

"Hey Dar?" she asked. Darry looked up at her.

"Is it alright if I skip school today? Lynn rang yesterday and I offered to help her around the house."

"You're not going to miss much today?" Darry asked. Melody shook her head.

"Alright then." Darry said. Mel smiled in thanks and went back to bed.

oOoOoOoOoOo

A few hours later, Melody woke up again. This time, without the irritating itch of her stitches. She loved those mornings where she didn't have to fight one of her siblings for the bathroom or have to wait for her darling twin to find his shoes. If Mel had it her way, she would sleep in everyday…although not one of the guys would ever allow that. They love waking her up far too much and have been doing it increasingly often.

Eventually she knew that she had to get out of bed. After a few more minutes of blissful sleep, Mel threw the covers off and got out of bed. She found her favorite pair of jeans hanging in her closet and now needed a shirt to wear, so she decided to search her brothers' room. Mel searched the floor for something that resembled a shirt when she found the green shirt that she had been looking for. Tossing them aside, Mel turned on the tap, begging and pleading for a hot shower. Luckily, there was enough left.

The best thing about being alone in the mornings is having the bathroom all to yourself, and no annoying brothers or friends using up all the hot water for showers.

After her relaxing shower, Melody got dressed and dried her hair. Grabbing a piece of chocolate, she raced out the door. Lynn was gone by the time she got there, but she did leave a note on the bench.

_Melody _

_Thank you so much for your help today, you really are an angel._

_There isn't much food in the cupboards I'm afraid, I haven't been able to get the shopping done yet. Feel free to gab some if you like. I've left some money on the counter._

_My darling son should still be asleep when you arrive. Time for a little payback, don't you think?_

_Have a good day and try not to let Two-Bit destroy the house._

_Love you both_

_Lynn _

Melody smiled as she placed the note back on the counter. Lynn knew how much her son loved to wake Mel up in the mornings, and she too thought he needed a taste of his own medicine. Quietly, she crept over to Two-Bit's room and opened the door. He was sprawled out on his mattress with his feet dangling off the edge. Mel laughed as she tip-toed around to the other side of the bed.

Trying to contain her laughter, she gripped the edge of the mattress and flipped it over, causing Two-Bit to land flat on his back on the floor.

"Oh god," Mel said, clutching her sides as her body was violently shaking with laughter. "Revenge is so sweet."

"Hahaha ok, ok I get it…I can be a bit on an ass." Two-Bit said, as he yawned and stretched. He went to walk out of the room but slipped on the blanket and flee flat on his back, making Mel burst out laughing again. Two-Bit smiled evilly and tripped her over so that she too was lying on the floor beside him.

"Morning Mel." He said. Mel poked her tongue out at him and got up.

"I'm supposed to be helping clean your house…not mess it up even more." Mel said, helping her friend to his feet.

"Yeah I guess." He said.

"Get ready, were going shopping." Mel said as she left the room. She waited patiently as Two-Bit had a shower and got dressed.

"Alright let's go." He said. Mel nodded and the two left the house and went to the grocery store.

"Two-Bit…what are you doing?" Melody asked.

"What does it look like? I'm getting a shopping cart." Two-Bit said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"I can see that. But you do realize that the shopping is supposed to go in there…not you." Mel laughed. Two-Bit shrugged and sat inside the shopping cart.

"Onward milady." He said, pointing forward towards the first aisle. Melody sighed.

"I am not pushing your fat ass in that thing." She said. Two-Bit's smile faltered.

"My ass is not fat!" he whined. Melody laughed and held the handlebar of the cart.

"if we get kicked out because of you…" she warned.

"Relax babe, we won't." Two-bit said. Melody rolled her eyes and pushed the cart. They walked down the aisles with Mel pushing and Two-Bit pulling random items off the shelves and putting them in the cart with him.

"Ooohh! Mel, can we please get these?!" Two-Bit wondered, holding up a bag of chocolate chip cookies.

"As if you don't act like an idiot enough already." Mel mumbled to herself. "Sure, chuck 'em in." Two-Bit cheered like a small child and pulled the packet of cookies into the cart beside him.

"Hey, grab me some gum, will ya?" Mel asked. Two-Bit smiled and quickly grabbed a couple of packets of gum and shoved them into his pocket.

When they had enough they made their way over to the check out counter. Two-Bit sat peacefully in the cart, handing things over to Melody to put up on the register. When it was empty, he jumped out. Mel put some money on the counter and handed half the grocery bags go Two-Bit before they left the store.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"So you and Dal gonna go to the dance?" Two-Bit asked, folding his shirt into a pile. The house was clean and now they were folding the washing. The radio was playing in the background as they worked and talked.

"Probably not." Mel said.

"Why not…you're a great dancer." Two-Bit said. Melody shrugged.

"I don't think he's into that kind of thing, you know." She said, as she added two more towels to the pile. Two-Bit scoffed.

"Maybe he can't dance." He laughed.

"I've seen him dance before, at Buck's." Mel said. Two-Bit laughed again.

"Shoot kid, that ain't dancing!" he said, taking her hand and spinning her around.

"This is dancing." Mel laughed as they danced around the room to the beat that was coming from the radio in the corner.

"Tell you what, Why don't I take you to the dance?" Two-Bit suggested.

"Really?" Mel wondered. Two-Bit nodded.

"If Dal won't take you, I will, alright?" he asked. Mel nodded as he spun her around again. Only this time, they tripped on a towel that had fallen and landed on the couch in a laughing heap.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Hello? Melody? Two-Bit?" Lynn called as she got home that evening. She checked the house for the two teenagers and found them asleep together on the couch. She just smiled and shook her head as she went to go and fix dinner.


	27. Getting Even

"So where's Dal taking you?" Two-Bit asked, sitting on the desk chair inside the DX. Mel was fussing about the room making sure everything was done before she left.

"Just going to the Dingo I think." Mel replied. She scanned the desk for an important pile of papers and saw they were underneath Two-Bit's feet. She shoved them off and pulled the papers out before filing them in a small cabinet by the desk.

"Well that's hardly romantic." Two-Bit said.

"Two-Bit, it's just lunch after I finish work...nothing spectacular." Mel laughed. Two-Bit shrugged and put his feet back up onto the desk.

"You're his girlfriend. It's Dal's job, as the boyfriend, to take you out properly." He said. Melody laughed.

"Is that what you do with Kathy?" she wondered.

"Of course." He said. Mel shook her head and rested her hand on her hips.

"Oh really? Because if i remember correctly, the last date you took her on was the two of you going to Dairy Queen and sitting in your hunk-of-junk car...then having to push said car to my house." She said. Two-Bit scowled and crossed his arms like a little child.

"I hate the fact that you and my girlfriend are best friends." He complained.

"Guess you just have to deal with it, huh?" Mel laughed, ushering him out of the room. She grabbed her bag and went to the bathroom to get changed.

Two-Bit went out to the shop where he found Soda, Steve and Dallas. Steve was doing something or other under the car and Soda and Dally were talking. Two-Bit, having nothing to do without the use of his car, sat on the workbench, polishing his beloved switchblade.

"Seriously, Man. Why don't you just get a job? Then you can afford to buy a new car." Steve said from underneath the car. Two-Bit shrugged.

"I will…eventually." He said. Soda rolled his eyes and continued to wipe the grease off his face. Two-Bit smiled proudly to himself as he examined his polishing work. Happily satisfied, he returned the blade to its rightful spot in his back pocket when Melody came outside. She walked over to them as she tried to stuff her DX shirt into her bag and stood with Dal.

"Ok, were out of here." She said. "Soda, I'll see you at home."

"Sure thing, babe." Soda said, laughing as Steve waved his hand frantically, searching for the wrench that Soda was holding. The couple waved goodbye to the others and walked over to where Dal had parked the car. As they crossed the road, a car deliberately swerved towards them and almost hit them.

"HEY WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" Dally yelled after the car. Both he and Mel finished crossing the road with Dal muttering every other curse imaginable.

Two-Bit by then, was looking at all the different tools that occupied the bench on which he was sitting. He picked one up and looked over at Soda, about to ask him what it was, when something caught his eye across the road.

"Soda." Two-Bit said, tapping his friend on the shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"It's...It's him." Two-bit said. Soda spun around instantly.

"What?" he asked. Two-bit pointed to a group of socs sitting by their car on the other side of the road. They then noticed that it was the car that had swerved in front of them just a few moments before.

"That's the guy that got Melody." Two-bit spat, pointing to Greene. Hearing this, Steve slid out from under the car and was up on his feet in a matter of seconds with a murderous look in his eyes. A growl escaped Soda's throat as clenched his fist and started to walk over, but Two-Bit stopped him.

"You promised her." He said. Soda sighed and threw Two-bit's hand off his shoulder.

"I know. But promise or no promise…I'm not letting them get away with this. I can't let him get away with that." He said, storming over to them. Two-bit looked at Steve and sighed.

"Come on." He said and the two of them followed Soda.

oOoOoOoOo

Ponyboy sat on the front porch with a cigarette dangling between his lips, struggling to keep a lit match. Finally he succeeded and took a long drag. He had an English test to study for that night but he wasn't worried. Like his sister, he was naturally gifted in English. All he had to do was go over his notes a couple of times to make sure that he had everything right. The sound of the front gate opening caused Ponyboy to look up and sigh when he saw who it was.

Inside the house, Mel was sitting on the couch, devouring one of the books that she and Ponyboy shared. She came home from lunch with Dal and cleaned the house and was now determined to relax. Her English class were studying_ Romeo and Juliet_ and she loved the story, so she thought she would spend a little time re-reading it. She was at her favourite part when her little brother came inside.

"Before you yell at them…remember that they had good intentions." He said. Mel was just about to ask him what he meant but the three boys that walked inside afterwards were answer enough. Black eyes, cut lips, and even a pair of busted knuckles. There was blood all over them.

"Piecing you all back together." Mel said softly. She threw her book across the room and got up off the couch before storming into the bathroom.

"Mel I…" Soda started. She returned a few minutes later with some first aid supplies in her hands.

"Sit!" she said angrily, pointing at her brother, who immediately sat on a chair in the kitchen. She started fixing up their cuts injuries.

"Are you gonna let me explain?" Soda wondered.

"Explain what? How you went ahead and got into a fight with them…even after you promised me you wouldn't?" Mel asked, angrily dabbing his forehead with antiseptic.

"I…Ouch!" he said.

"Might I point out that I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen to me." Two-Bit said from the lounge room.

"I'll second that." Steve said, fussing over his busted knuckles. Melody sighed and pointed at them accusingly.

"Shut up both of you. You're just as bad as he is." Melody snapped. The other two boys sat quietly in their seats, awaiting their turn. Mel finished with her brother and kicked him off the chair and called Steve into the room.

Soda sighed and sat on the couch beside his brother, noticing the look he was getting from him.

"Don't look at me like that, Ponyboy." He said. Ponyboy sighed and retired to his bedroom to study.

Mel had finished the three of them and went back to the bathroom to put everything away.

"I'm sorry, Ok. I shouldn't have done it." Soda said.

"No, you shouldn't have." Mel said angrily.

"We had to..." Two-Bit said. Mel scoffed.

"you had to? That's complete bullshit! You didn't _have_ to do anything!" she said.

"We had to get even Mel…" Steve said.

"Jesus Christ! Don't you guys get it yet?! There is no even…there never will be, not for us. No matter how many times you fight them…how many times you beat them…they're always gonna win." Melody said, walking to her room and slamming the door behind her. The four boys in the room didn't know what to say. After about half an hour, Melody came out of her room. She had had a shower and gotten changed.

"I'm heading to the movies with Kathy. I'll be back later." She said, looking at Ponyboy. And that was it. She didn't say goodbye or say anything else to the others or told her brothers she loved them like she usually did. She just left the house. Soda sighed and rested his head in his hands just as Darry came home.

"I know she's gone out and i can tell something happened...now _know_ just by looking at your faces." He said, looking at the three with bandages and such. "I'm going to have a shower and then you lot are going to tell me exactly what the hell happened today."

It wasn't a question. And the others knew that well enough, so they simply nodded and waited for Darry.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"So they just ignored what you asked?" Kathy asked. She and Mel were standing in line getting some snacks before the movie started. Mel nodded

"Yeah. None of them have ever gone behind my back like that...especially Soda." She said.

"When i see that man of mine, i swear i'm gonna..." Kathy threatened. Mel laughed

"Apparently he tried to stop Soda... but he still got involved...and that's what makes me mad." She said. Kathy nodded her head in understanding.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Well no wonder Mel was pissed at you lot." Darry said, leaning back into his chair.

"You gotta understand where we're coming from, Darry." Soda said. The eldest Curtis sighed.

"I do. You were fighting for your sister's honor, right?" he asked. The three nodded.

"But your sister is right. There isn't really any way to get even with them...you all should know that by now." Darry said.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"I do see where they were coming from, though." Mel sighed. "i know they were only trying to defend me...but, I don't know."

"What?" Kathy asked, eating more popcorn.

"Nah, don't worry about it." Mel said, waving it off. Kathy rolled her eyes.

"Melody Jean Curtis, spill right now." She said. Mel sighed.

"I'm just...scared." she said. Kathy looked at her questioningly.

"Of what?"

"Ever since...that night. I've been so scared that i'm gonna wake up one day, and one of them isn't gonna be there." Mel admitted. Kathy sighed and put her hand on Mel's shoulder.

"Honey, that's not gonna happen." She said. Mel looked up at her friend, tears now starting to form in her eyes.

"how do i know what? I didn't think we were gonna lose mom and dad so soon. They were just out for the day...then look what happened." She said. "I cant lose anyone else, Kathy. I couldn't take it."

"Mel, listen to me. Those boys love you more than anything, you know that." Kathy said. The two were now completely oblivious to whatever was happening on the screen. "Everything they do, even getting into fights, is for you. I'm not saying that what they did was right, cause it wasn't. But you know it was just because they love you." Kathy said. Mel sighed in frustration.

"You're right." She said. Kathy smiled triumphantly and the two went back to watching their movie.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Darry was sitting up in his armchair reading the paper when Mel came home. She waved goodbye to Kathy as she drove away in her bothers car. She walked in the door and looked at him. Darry smiled weakly at her.

"Feel better?" he asked. Mel nodded. She pointed to The boys' bedroom door.

"Steve's crashing at Two-Bit's tonight and Pony fell asleep a few hours ago." Darry explained.

"Soda?" Mel wondered. Darry nodded his head towards the back of the house.

"Out the back." He said. Mel nodded and went to get changed. Once she was dressed for bed, she grabbed one of Darry's jumpers and went outside. She found her twin sitting in the tree in the yard. She smiled to herself and walked over, leaning her back against the trunk of the tree.

"You know, i always thought you were part monkey...this just proves it." She said. Soda said nothing. Melody sighed.

"You gonna come down here so i can talk to you?" she wondered.

"I'm more than happy up here, thanks." Soda said sadly. Melody sighed and started to climb the tree. Soon she was sitting on the branch just below her brother.

"I'm sorry for the way i acted before." She said. For the first time, Soda looked her straight in the eye.

"You've got nothing to be sorry for. I'm sorry that i broke my promise." He said.

"You know, everything aside, I'm glad you stood up for me." She said. Soda smiled.

"Hey, what are twins for?" he joked, earning a smile from Mel.

"How bout we call it even and be done with it?" Mel asked. Soda smiled and nodded.

"Good. Now let's get inside cause I'm freezing my ass off." Mel laughed. Soda laughed and jumped down, then holding out his arms for his sister. Mel smiled and jumped down, landing in her brother's arms. Mel smiled brightly and wrapped arms around Soda's neck.

"Love ya, kid." She smiled, kissing his cheek.

"You're completely psychotic, you know that right?" Soda laughed.

"Of course." Mel replied. Soda smiled and kissed her forehead before carrying her back inside. They made it back inside and Soda let her down in front of her door and sighed exhaustedly.

"I guess, i love you too." He smiled.


	28. Lunch Date

"Remember class, those who haven't already done so, your second essay on Romeo and Juliet is due next week." Mr. Syme said, packing his notes back into his briefcase. The group of students got up out of their seats and left the room.

"Oh, Miss Curtis?" He called out as Melody left her desk.

"Yes sir?" She replied, picking up her text books.

"Excellent job on your essay. You really do have a natural talent for writing." Mr. Syme said, handing her essay back to her. Melody smiled when she saw the 'A+' written at the top of her page.

"Thankyou sir." she said. "I'm not sure about the natural talent part though."

"Nonsense. Both you are your brother possess it. It's clearly visable in your work, especially some of those pieces you wrote out of class. You should really consider it after you graduate." Mr. Syme said. Melody smiled again. After the accident, Mr. Syme helped Mel come up with the idea of the notebook.

"I'll think about it. Thankyou sir." She said, leaving the room. Two-Bit and Steve were talking by her locker.

"A+ again, huh?" Two-Bit wondered. Melody smiled and nodded her head as she opened her locker. Two-Bit smiled and grabbed the essay from her grasp and began to read it.

"Hey Stevie?" She asked.

"Yeah?" Steve said.

"You leaving for lunch today?" Melody asked.

"Wasn't going to...why?" Steve wondered.

"Because I'm gonna hijack your car." Mel shrugged. Steve groaned.

"Why my car?" He asked.

"Three reasons. One, Because I don't have one. Two, because his is a complete death trap." Mel said, pointing accusedly at Two-Bit, who just rolled his eyes and finished reading the paper.

"And the third reason?" Steve wondered. Melody smiled at him. You know, that smile that girls do that makes everyone totally give in to them?

"Three, because you love me and want to make me happy." She said, batting her eyelashes jokingly. Steve sighed and shook his head. He reached inside his pocket and pulled out his car keys, tossing them at Melody.

"Right, so that had nothing to do with the fact that Mel can be a total bitch when she wants to be?" Two-Bit wondered, earning a slap from Melody.

"That too." Steve grinned. Mel rolled her eyes and folded her paper in half and slipped it inside her bag before shutting her locker. Two-Bit wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they walked down the hall.

"What you need the car for anyway? Going to visit Dal for some 'alone time'?" Two-Bit joked. Mel elbowed him in the stomach.

"No. I just happen to know a certain brother of mine who's been working way too hard and needs a break." She said.

"Yeah, Superdope does work too much. I dunno if he even knows the meaning of the word break." Steve said.

"Well, I'm just going to force him to take a break." Mel shrugged. They walked out to their usual spot for lunch. Ponyboy and Johnny were talking as they made their way over to the spot. Melody waved goodbye and jumped into Steve's car and drove away.

Darry's work site wasn't too far from the school. She pulled up out the front and found him working up on the roof. Even though he was so high up, Mel could tell he was tired from working in the hot sun all day. She saw him wipe his head with his shirt that was crumpled up next to him. She smiled to herself as she leaned out of the window and whistled.

"Oi, Greaser!" she shouted out. Darry stopped and looked around, finally spotting her in the car. He raised his hand above his eyes, using it as a visor and looked down at the car.

"Aren't you supposed to be at school?" He yelled out.

"Check your watch, Curtis. It's lunchtime." Melody called out. Darry rolled his eyes.

"Finish up, we're going out." She yelled. Darry smiled but sho0ok his head.

"I can't. I've got too much work." He called back. It was Mel's turn to roll her eyes.

"Darry, you work too much! As your little sister, It's my job to tell you to relax. So put your damn shirt on and get your ass down here!" She laughed. Darry sighed and grabbed his shirt before getting down off the roof and made his way over to the car. Mel smiled innocently at him.

"Hi." she said. Darry laughed.

"So, remind me why you're here?" He wondered.

"I've come to take you to lunch." Mel said. "But you gotta hurry cause I gotta be back before lunch ends and I'm borrowing Steve's car." Darry smiled and shook his head again as he got into the car.

"Didnt think you would refuse your baby sister's charms." Mel laughed, starting up the engine. Darry just rolled his eyes as they made their way down to the dingo.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"I can't even remember the last time I was here." Darry said as they pulled up out the front. Melody smiled.

"Like I said, you work too much." She said getting out of the car. Darry smiled and they walked inside.

"Well I'll be. If it isn't Darryl Curtis." A tall blonde girl said as they made their way to the counter.

"Hey Ginny." Darry smiled. Melody smiled and waved at her friend. Ginny Phelps had known the family for years. In fact, she actually went to school with Darry. Her mother remarried when she was about ten and had her little brother, Tommy. She and Tommy now live with their Grandmother after their her stepfather went to prision and her mom left.

"Seems like it's been years since we last saw you." Ginny said. Darry shrugged.

"I know I know, I get enough of that from this one!" Darry said, pulling Melody into a headlock. Ginny laughed as the young Curtis tried to free herself from her brother's grasp.

"Come on guys, I'll get you a table." She laughed. Darry finally let his sister go and they followed Ginny to a booth. Mel sat down on one side and Darry on the other as Ginny took their orders.

"Hey Ginny, how's Tommy doing?" Mel asked, remembering what Kathy had told her a while back.

"Much better now. At first he didn't wanna leave the house after it happened. " Ginny explained. "But he's much better now, thanks. I'll tell him you said hi."

"Thanks" Mel said.

"Alright I'll be back in a second." Ginny said. She smiled at Darry before going back to the kitchens. Mel looked at her older brother and smiled...he was still smiling. Mel rolled her eyes.

"Oh for crying out loud...just ask her out already." she said. Now that pulled Darry out of his daze.

"What?" He asked, looking across the table at his sister.

"Darry...what's stopping you? Just ask the girl out. I mean, it's not like you don't know her or anything." Melody said.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, kid." Darry insisted. He looked across the room at Ginny, who was carrying a couple of drinks over to another table. Before she walked back, she looked over at him and smiled. Darry smiled quickly and turned away again.

"Darryl Curtis...are you blushing?" Melody teased. Darry threw her a warning glance just as Ginny arrived back with their meals.

"Here you go, guys." She smiled, brushing a strand of her blode hair out of her eyes.

"Thanks. Oh hey, are we still on for later?" Mel asked. Ginny smiled and nodded.

"Sure thing. I should be finished here about, oh say, four-ish. So you and Kathy can meet me out the front if you like." she said. Darry looked at his sister. It was clear he didn't have a clue what they were talking about. Melody rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Dar. I told you about this last night." She said. Darry thought for a minute before he finally remembered.

"Oh right...dress shopping." he said, taking a bite out of his burger.

"I'll drop her home tonight if you want, Darry. I know it's better if she doesn't walk around that late by herself." Ginny offered.

"Well, Thanks Ginny." Darry smiled. Ginny smiled in return and heard her name being called out.

"Oh shoot. I gotta run. I'll see you later alright, Mel?" She asked. Melody nodded her head. Ginny looked up at Darry and smiled.

"It really was great to see you Darry." she said. Darry smiled.

"You too Gin." he said. With one last wave, Ginny went back to work. Darry smiled and looked back at his sister, who was now sitting with her arms crossed, a knowing look on her face.

"Don't give me that look." he said. Mel put her hands up defensively.

"I didnt say a word." she said as she took a sip of her pepsi.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The car came to a stop outside the work site. Darry sighed and looked over at his sister.

"Thanks for today, Mel." he said. Mel smiled.

"Don't mention it. Now get back out there...I gotta get back or Steve will wring my pretty little neck." she laughed. Darry smiled and kissed her cheek before getting out of the car.

"I'll see you tonight." he said. He waved and began to walk away when Melody called out.

"Hey Darry?"

"Yeah?" he said, turning back towards the car. Melody just grinned evilly.

"Just think about what I said before." she said. Darry rolled his eyes as Mel started the engine and drove off. When she returned to the school, Steve and Two-Bit were waiting out the front. Melody sighed and got out of the car.

"Come on, we're gonna be late." she said throwing the keys to Steve. Two-Bit walked ahead with her as Steve stayed behind, inspecting the car for any signs of damage. When he was happily convinced, he ran to catch up with the other two.


	29. Dress Shopping

**Disclaimer: I dont own the Outsiders. If I did, Sodapop and Dallas would belong to me and I wouldn't be sitting here writing fan fiction lol. They belong to SE Hinton, and the last time I checked...I wasnt. I do, however, own Melody, Ginny, the name Scott and the plot so far, I will let you know when that changes and I'll use the main story. So ...yeah. Enjoy the story and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW..... I NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT..... THE MORE I GET THE QUICKER THE UPDATE :) **

Kathy found Melody in the hallway after school had ended. She was standing by Melody's locker, twirling a set of car keys in her hand.

"He's letting you use his car again?" Mel wondered incredulously. Kathy smiled and shook her head.

"Nope. He's waiting out the front. I took his keys so he couldn't change his mind and drive away." she laughed. Mel laughed and shook her head as she grabbed her bag.

"Shoot kid, you're lucky he actually wants to drive you around." she said. Kathy shrugged.

"Nah, the only two people he doesn't mind driving around is you and me." she said. They smiled and walked out of the school. Sure enough, there waiting out the front, was Kathy's brother. They raced over and jumped in the backseat.

"Hey Scott." Mel said, sliding over to let Kathy in. Scott looked in the rearview mirror and nodded his head. Scott was a real hood. Two-Bit always said that he was so greasy, that he glides when he walks, and had to went to the barbershop for an oil change instead of a haircut. He would never crack a smile in public. In fact, in all the years that Mel had known him and Kathy, she'd only seen him smile on very rare occasion.

"How's it goin kid?" he said. Mel smiled, she knew him better underneath his tough guy image... it was kinda like Dally. Although Scott was a whole different story. He started the car and sped off down the street.

"You need a lift home tonight, Mel?" Kathy wondered. "We can take you home."

"Nah, it's alright. Ginny promised to take me home afterwards." Melody said. Pretty soon they arrived at the Dingo, just as Ginny walked out.

"Thanks for the lift, Scott." Mel said climbing out of the car.

"Yeah yeah." Scott said. The girls laughed and jumped out of the car. With a subtle wave, Scott drove away.

"Right on time, girls." Ginny smiled. They walked down the street and looked through the various dress stores, trying to find the perfect dress.

"So is this a school dance or is anyone allowed to go?" Ginny wondered.

"I think it's just being held there...I'm pretty sure I heard some people talking that others can go too." Kathy said. "Why? You planning on crashing the party, Gin?" Ginny laughed.

"Maybe. Nah, I wouldn't be able to get time off work...let alone a date." she said. Melody smiled knowingly.

"I'm sure you could find someone." she said.

"So who you going with, Mel?" Ginny wondered.

"Since my man is stubborn and doesn't dance, I'm stealing Kathy's." Melody laughed. "Which I'm still feeling guilty about." Kathy rolled her eyes.

"Stop it, will ya? I told you it's fine. Besides....I've found myself a date." she said.

"Who?" both Mel and Ginny wondered.

"Scott." Kathy laughed. The others looked at her in disbelief.

"You convinced your brother to go to the dance with you?" Melody wondered. Kathy smiled and nodded.

"Kid...I envy your powers of persuasion." she said. Ginny laughed.

"I don't know...you're both just as bad as each other." she said. The other two just laughed as they walked into the store. They searched around trying on different dresses, trying to figure out what would look best. They moved from shop to shop for hours. Kathy managed to find a beautiful green dress and managed to buy it with the mpney she had saved from her shifts at the Dingo. Melody on the other hand, didnt find anything.

"Face it, I'm not gonna be able to find anything." She said, sorting through et another rack of dresses.

"You will...the perfect dress is out there for you...we just haven't found it yet." Kathy said.

"Wait...what about this one?" Ginny said, holding up a beautiful pink dress. The other two looked at her stunned.

"It's so beautiful." Melody said.

"Curtis, you have to try it on." Kathy said. Melody smiled and ran to try it on. Ginny and Kathy waited outside while Mel tried the dress on.

"Hurry up, will ya?" Kathy said, tapping her foot on the floor impatiently. They could hear Melody laughing behind the door.

"Alright you ready?" she asked. Kathy rolled her eyes.

"We've been ready for the last 10 minutes!" she said. Ginny laughed and shook her head.

"Come on out, Mel." she said. Mel sighed to herself before walking out. Ginny and Kathy's eyes grew wide as they saw their friend.

"What?" Melody wondered.

"You...look...amazing." Kathy stuttered. Melody rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on, it's not that great." she said. Ginny shook her head.

"You have to wear that dress, Honey. It just...just wear it." she said. Mel smiled and checked herself in the mirror. Her smile soon faltered when she saw the pricetag.

"Uh, no way." she said. The other two looked at her with confusion.

"There is no way I can afford this." she said. "We're just getting by as it is without me spending money on dresses. I just can't buy it." Kathy and Ginny looked at each other. They could tell that Mel was upset with not being able to afford it.

"I'll buy it for you." Kathy said. Mel's head shot up and looked at her friend.

"No you won't." She insisted. Kathy rolled her eyes.

"Don't be stubborn, Melody. You need a dress for the dance." She said.

"Ok, but it doesnt have to be this dress. I'll...I'll find something else that's within my price range." Mel said sadly, going back into the change rooms. Kathy turned to Ginny and sighed.

"So goddamn stubborn." she said. Ginny stood deep in thought for a minute as Melody got changed. She came out, dressed in her jeans again and carried the dress over her arm. Ginny took it from her and looked at it.

"I'll make it for you." she said. Both Melody and Kathy looked up at her in shock.

"What?" Mel wondered. Ginny looked up at her.

"I said I'll make it for you. It's a pretty easy pattern and I'm sure I can get it done for you in time for the dance." she said.

"Oh Ginny...I can't ask you to do that for me, it's too much." Melody said, but Ginny held her hand up to stop her.

"It's no problem, Mel." she smiled. Mel smiled and hugged her.

"Thank you." she said. Ginny smiled and hugged her back.

"No worries, honey. We better head off now though, it's getting late and I promised your brother you'd get home safe." she said. Scott was parked out the front of the Dingo when the girls made it back. Kathy said goodbye to her friends and jumped in the car. Ginny and Melody waved goodbye before heading down to Ginny's car that was parked in the Dingo parking lot.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Dallas grinned and placed his hand down on the table.

"Read 'em and weep." he said smugly. The other players groaned and threw their cards down on the table as Dally gathered his winnings.

"Shit Winston! That's the sixth time you're taken my money. That's it...I'm out." One guys said, throwing his cards away. Dally just smirked and took a swig of his beer.

"Me too." another said.

"So Winston, what's with you and Curtis?" Tim Shepard asked, swigging from his beer bottle. Dallas threw him a look then shrugged. He was never one to talk about that kinda thing...except with Mel herself.

"Better hope she knows what she's in for." Shepard said. Dally stopped counting his money and looked at Shepard.

"What are you talking about Shepard?" he wondered. Shepard shrugged.

"Well, now that Curtis is your girl, You'd hope she knows what to expect." he said, taking another drink.

"Meaning..." Dally said.

"Well think about it. She's gotta get used to the fact that she's with you now. Everytime some shit happens here, you're gonna be the first they blame. And quite possibly, She'll get called in too, just cause she's with you. Then, when you get hauled away, she'll wait behind here." Shepard explained, downing the last of his beer.

Dally didnt say anything after that. He struck a match and lit a fresh cigarette and shoved the wad of cash into his pocket.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Thanks for today, Gin." Melody said. Ginny looked over at her friend and smiled.

"Anytime honey, you know that." she said happily. When they pulled up outside, Darry and Soda were talking out on the porch. They both turned and waved as Mel got out of the car.

"I'll see you soon, I'm gonna need some measurements for your dress and all that." Ginny said. Melody smiled and nodded, getting out of the car. Ginny smiled and went to start the car when she saw that Melody had left her school bag behind. She grabbed it and got out of the car.

"Melody!" she called out. Melody stopped at the gate and turned around. Ginny smiled and held up the bag.

"You left your bag behind." she said. Mel smiled and ran back grabbing her bag. She waved at Ginny once more before running up the steps.

"Talk to her!" she whispered to Darry. She ran inside after her twin before her older brother could respond. Darry stood there for a bit, watching Ginny walk back to her car.

"Hey Ginny." he called out. Ginny looked up and smiled as Darry ran down the steps towards her.

"Yeah Darry?" she wondered.

"I wanted to...I wanted to thankyou, for taking Mel out today. I know she loves hanging out with you." Darry said., mentally kicking himself as soon as he did. Ginny smiled

"No problem. She's a great kid." She said. Darry smiled and nodded.

"Well, I should be getting back." Ginny said. Darry nodded as she went and opened her car door.

"Ginny?" he asked. Ginny smiled to herself and looked up at him.

"Yeah Darry?" she asked hopefully. Darry ran his hand through his hair nervously.

"I...I'll see you around." he said, mentally kicking himself once again. Ginny's smile faulted a little, but she covered it up with another.

"Sure thing Darry." she said. She waved goodbye before getting in her car and drove away. She beeped the horn as she turned the corner. Darry waved until she was out of sight. He sighed to himself turned to walk up the front steps. When he got there he found Melody leaning in the doorway with her arms crossed.

"What?" he asked. Mel simple shook her head and walked inside.

"What?" Darry repeated, standing in the doorway.

"Just get inside Darry!" Melody called out. Darry sighed and walked inside, letting the screen door slam behind him.


	30. Did You Ever

Mel woke up to strange sounds coming from her floor . She opened one eye and found her twin searching frantically through her clothes. She sighed to herslef before closing her eyes again.

"Soda, you're shoes aren't here." she said sleepily. Soda shook his head and continued to look.

"They have to be. I can't find them anywhere else." he said as he threw a couple of Melody's shirts across the room. Mel sighed and rolled over.

"Yo put them over the shower to dry after you and Steve were jumping in puddles last night." she yawned. Soda stopped instantly and sighed. He jumped up and raced out of the room.

"Sodapop Patrick Curtis, you get your ass back here now and clean this up!" Melody shouted, pulling a pillow over her head. She could hear the sounds of Soda scuffling across the floor, puting everything back.

"And that doesn't mean just tossing it aside...I want it back the way you found it." Melody said. Soda rolled his eyes and cleaned the room. When he was done, Mel could vaguely hear him mutter something about having eyes in the back of her head or something. She just laughed and went back to sleep. It was still pouring outside from the night before and the thunder wasn't really helping, so she decided to get out of bed. She grabbed a jumper from the floor and threw it over her pyjamas to shield herself from the cold air.

The sky outside was dark as the rain continued to pour as Mel made her way to the kitchen. She put the last couple of slices of bread into the toaster as she made herself a hot chocolate. A flash of lightning lighted up the room and made her jump. After calming herself, she took her breakfast into the living room and turned on the television. Once again Mickey Mouse was on. It was a shame that Two-Bit wasn't there. She settled down and watched the TV for a while before eventually falling asleep.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Dally turned off the engine and stared out through the rain at the DX in front of him. After a few minutes, He sighed to himself and got out of the car.

With his hands jammed into his pockets, he stalked up the driveway. Sodapop was working on a run down pick-up when he arrived.

"Where's the kid?" he asked, leaning against the wall. Soda looked up at him.

"Who Mel?" Soda wondered. Dally nodded.

"She's at home." Soda said. Dal turned around and walked away withough a 'thanks' or anything. Soda looked at him walking away before shrugging and turning around.

"What's with him?" Steve wondered, now standing by the pick-up truck.

"I have no idea." Soda said. The sky was darker than ever and the rain continued to pour.

"Come on, we got some more to do before we head back. We gotta walk home in this. Here, this might help." Steve said, handing Soda a newspaper. Soda smiled and went back to work.

oOoOoOoOoOo

When Mel woke up, it was almost black outside. She rubbed her eyes and tilted her head back to check the clock in the kitchen...she had been asleep for at least a couple of hours. Mel grabbed her cup from the floor and took it out to the kitchen before going to her room to get changed. She had just pulled her shirt over her head when there was a knock at the door. Leaving her room, she went to the door and found Dally standing, saturated from the rain.

"Hey." Mel said.

"I gotta talk to you." Dally said. Mel nodded and opened the door wider.

"Sure, what's up?" she asked. Dally leaned against the wall and lit a cigarette.

"We cant keep doing this." he said. Mel sent him a confused look.

"What do you mean? Keep doing what?" she asked.

"This…us." He said, pointing between the two of them. His face was unreadable; cold and emotionless. "…it's over."

Melody looked at him as if he had grown another head. Did he really just say that? What had she done wrong?

"W-what to you mean over?" she asked quietly. Dally took a drag of his cigarette and rolled his eyes.

"You're smart, why don't you figure it out?" he said coldly, flicking the ashes out the door.

"I don't understand…why?" Melody asked. Dally shrugged.

"Simple, I don't want you anymore." He said. Melody just couldn't understand it.

"You…don't…want me?" Mel repeated, trying to grasp what was happening.

"That's what I said isn't it?" Dal snapped. She knew he must have been joking around. He couldn't mean it...could he?

"So everything you ever told me? Everything you said was a lie?" wondered Mel.

"Pretty much, yeah." said Dal.

"Then why did you say…" Mel said slowly. Dal sighed in annoyance.

"Forget everything I said. I didn't mean any of it! I don't want you…I never did! And I sure as hell don't love you." He said. Mel could feel her heart tear into a million pieces. It had already been stitched back together so many times before…but this was different. Melody wasn't sure if it would ever recover. It was if her entire world came crashing down around her.

"Did you ever?" she asked.

"Ever what?"

"Love me?"

"…No." Dally said, going out through the front door. Melody stood there for a moment shocked, before she flew out of the door after him, the screen door slammed behind her.

"Then why?! Why the hell did you even bother with me?" Mel asked angrily, practically screaming at him. Once again, he shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. Something to do I guess. I've had some fun and that's it." He spat.

"I don't believe you, Dallas. This isn't you. I know you better than this." Mel said. She couldn't tell whether it was the rain or tears she could feel falling down her cheeks.

"Yeah, well you don't know jack shit about me! I don't give a fuck what you think!" Dally screamed. "You're just a…" Melody knew what he was going to say.

"Go on say it….i dare you." She challenged. It was known to be a death sentence to fight with Dallas Winston. But she was so angry, she didn't care. She knew he would never hurt her....physically anyway.

"You're just a kid." Dal said. "You're just a damn kid who doesn't know shit about anything! So don't go pretending that you do cause you ain't fooling nobody but yourself." Mel stared at him, barely stopping herself from wanting to hit him.

"What the fuck is your problem?!" Mel screamed.

"You! You're my problem!" Dally shouted with equal force.

"Me?!"

"Yeah you! Always thinking you know everything about everybody...well you know what? You don't! I don't need this shit from anyone...especially some fucking broad with an attitude problem, like you!"

"And you're a stubborn pain in the ass who hates everything and everyone…just because your life is fucked up and not the way you want it…doesn't mean everyone else feels the same and I sure as hell doesn't mean you can go fucking it up for them!"

Dally didn't say anything after that. He just stormed over to his car and slammed the door shut after him. Mel crossed her arms and kicked the car as it drove past.

"I hate you Dallas Winston!" she screamed after the car, but she didn't know if her heard her or not. When he was out of sight, Melody fell to her knees on the cold, wet ground and cried. She honestly didn't care that it was still pouring or that she was now saturated from head to toe.  
After a while she picked her self up off the ground and walked to her house, kicking the front gate as she passed it.


	31. Taking Out Your Anger

"Hello? Mel are you home?" yelled Soda as he and Steve come home from work. They were forced to walk home in the rain that afternoon and were completely drenched. Steve threw the wet newspaper aside and looked around for Melody. They searched the living room for any sign of her when they heard a strange noise. They quietly followed the sound until they came to Melody's room. Soda looked at Steve who shrugged and opened the door.

Inside the room was trashed. There were clothes and things all over the floor and huddled up in the corner, was Melody. She was completely soaked from head to toe and tears were streaming down her face. She was holding her arm, that was covered in blood. A shattered picture frame and shards of broken glass surrounded the floor around her.

"Holy Shit! Mel, what happened?" asked Steve as he and Soda raced over to her. The two went sliding on their knees, careful not to get any of the glass.

"He…he left…" Melody stuttered.

"Who?"

"Dally. He broke up with me." she sobbed.

"Shoot," Soda said, looking at the blood everywhere. "Come on, honey. Let's get you cleaned up."

The two helped her into the kitchen and sat her down at the table. Steve helped her into a chair and sat beside her. Soda went to the bathroom and got some tweezers, then raided the kitchen until he found a bottle of vodka.

"Thanks, I could use a drink." said Steve.

"It's for her arm, stupid!" said Soda. But Steve just ignored him and grabbed a glass from the cupboard and poured himself a drink, then passing it over to Melody. She took it without a word and drank it all at once. Steve raised his eyebrows at her before refilling the glass. Soda rolled his eyes and sat down next to his sister.

"Ok, so Dally breaking up with you doesn't explain all this glass in your arm." said Soda.

"I sorta took my anger out on my room." said Melody. Soda nodded as he continued to pick the glass out of his sister's arm. Mel winced in pain.

"Jesus Christ Soda!"

"Sorry…just keep still." Soda instructed. Mel sighed and nodded.

"I guess it was over before it started...wasn't it?" she asked them. Soda and Steve looked at each other, not quite sure what to tell her. After all the tiny pieces were taken out, Soda wrapped her arm up in a bandage and kissed it better.

"There." he said, smiling sympathetically.

"I need to lie down." Mel said quietly.

"I'll clean your room up later, go to mine." Soda said. Mel nodded thanks and walked to her brothers room just as Darry got home from work.

"Hon, what happened?" he asked, eyeing her bandaged arm.

"I fell." Mel lied, shutting the bedroom door behind her. Darry was confused and went to go seek some answers. When he got to the kitchen, he saw Soda cleaning up all the glass shards and putting them into the bin.

"What the hell happened to Melody?" asked Darry. Soda sighed.

"Dallas broke up with her." he said.

"What? Why?" Darry asked.

"We don't know, but Mel took all her anger our on her room. Smashed her arm into a photo frame." said Steve.

"Poor kid." Darry said. He put his stuff down and took a seat at the table with Steve and Soda.

"Why did he do it? I mean, I thought she meant something to him." Soda said.

"I don't know little buddy." Darry said. Soda and Steve sat at the table quietly, which was extremely unusual. Darry had tried multiple times to talk to Melody but she wouldn't move from her room or let him in. He finally decided that he needed help. He walked into the living room and picked up the phone.

_Hello?_

"Hey Gin, It's me."

_Hey Darry. What's going on?_

"Do you think you could come over. I need your help."

_Uh... yeah sure. Darry what happend?_

"I can't really explain much over the phone, but Mel's upset and locked herself in her room."

_Ok, I'll be there soon._

"Thanks Ginny."

_No worries, bye._

oOoOoOoOoOo

Ginny jumped out of her car and raced inside the Curtis house. Inside she found Darry, Soda, Steve and Ponyboy, who had gotten home a little while ago.

"What's wrong?" she asked, leaning against the wall.

"Dal broke up with Melody." Ponyboy said. Ginny looked like she had seen a ghost.

"What? Why?" she asked. The boys all shrugged their shoulders.

"We don't know. She wont let anyone in to talk. I only just finished cleaning her room after her little outburst." Soda said. He was spinning the empty glass on the table.

"Outburst?" She wondered.

"She trashed her room. Slammed her arm into a picture frame and cut it up real bad." Steve said. Ginny sighed and sat down next to Steve, resting her head in her hands.

"Is she ok?" She asked, looking up again. Darry shrugged his shoulders.

"We don't know...she won't let any of us is. Not me or Ponyboy...not even Sodapop." he said. Ginny ran her hand through her hair.

"Do you want me to try?" she asked.

"Do you think you could? She's in our room." Soda wondered. Ginny smiled and nodded. She got up and walked over to the door and knocked.

"Guys I told you...I dont wanna talk!" Melody shouted. Ginny sighed.

"Honey, it's Gin. You wanna open the door?" she asked. There was silence for a few moments until Ginny saw the doorknob turn. Melody appeared at the door a few seconds later. Her eyes were red and bloodshot, obviously from crying so much. Ginny then noticed the bandage that covered majority of her arm.

"You wanna let me in?" she asked softly. Melody sniffed and nodded, opening her door wider and shut it as soon as Ginny was inside. They walked over and sat on the bed. Melody pulled her knees up to her chest.

"So what happened?" Ginny asked. Melody shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know." she said. "I hadn't seen him in a few days and then he turns up today and tells me it's over."

"Just like that?" Ginny wondered.

"Yeah. He told me we couldn't keep doing this and that it was over. He told me that everything he ever told me was a lie and that he was just having fun but got bored. Then, when I asked what his problem was, he blamed me and said, quote, _I don't need this shit from anyone...especially some fucking broad with an attitude problem, like you_." Melody said.

"Jesus...I'm so sorry honey." Ginny said. Melody smiled weakly.

"It's ok...I guess it was kinda stupid for me to think he could love me like that." Melody said. "But now I've lost one of my best friends too."

"It'll be ok." Ginny said.

"I hope you're right, Gin." Melody said. Ginny smiled and pulled her friend into a hug. Mel just rested her head on Ginny's shoulder as they sat there for a while, just talking or sometimes just sitting in silence. Ginny looked down and found Melody asleep. She carefully pulled out of her grasp and left the room. She walked out to the kitchen where the three Curtis brothers were sitting.

"How is she?" Ponyboy asked, looking up from his game of cards with Sodapop.

"Well, she's heartbroken." Ginny said. "But she's asleep now."

"You guys can crash in her room tonight. I don't think we'll move her." Darry told his brothers. The two nodded and went back to their game. Darry sighed to himself and went outside.

"She's gonna be alright." a voice said from the doorway. Darry spun around and saw Ginny leaning in the doorway. He smiled weakly and turned around again. Ginny sighed and walked over to him.

"She's a strong kid." she told him.

"I know. I just thought, that after everything that's happened over the last year...she'd get the chance to be happy." Darry said.

"Things are gonna work out." Ginny said. Darry looked at her in disbelief. Ginny smiled and put her hand on his cheek.

"Trust me on this, Darry." she said. Darry smiled.

"Thanks Gin." he said. Ginny smiled and turned around to walk inside.

"I'll make you guys some dinner." she said.

"You don't have to do that." Darry said, but Ginny just rolled her eyes.

"That wasn't an offer." she said. "I want to." she said, heading back inside. Darry smiled to himself and sat down on the chair by the door.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Ponyboy, could you grab these for me, sweetheart?" Ginny said. Ponyboy nodded and grabbed the plates of pasta from the bench and placed them on the table. Darry came in as dinner was being served. To his surprise, Melody was out of her room and sitting at the table. He gave her a small smile and sat down. When all four of the Curtis kids had their dinner, Ginny grabbed her bag.

"Alright guys, I'll leave you too it." she said.

"You're leaving?" Ponyboy wondered. Ginny nodded.

"Yeah. Tommy's at a friends house tonight so I'm gonna get some work done around the house." she said. All of the Curtid kids looked disappointed.

"You don't have to," Soda said. "Why don't you stay for a while?"

"Oh no, I don't wanna get in your way or anything." Ginny said.

"Gin, when do you ever get in the way?" Melody wondered.

"Mel's right." Darry said. "Why don't you stay and have something to eat? You know we'd love to have you."

"Alright then." Ginny smiled. Soda got up and fixed her a plate of pasta.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Later that night, after dinner and some chocolate cake for dessert, Ponyboy and the twins went to bed, all deciding to crash in the one room. Darry and Ginny were in the kitchen packing up from dinner. They washed the dishes and stacked everything away before sitting on the couch in the living room.

"Do you want a drink or something?" Darry wondered. Ginny smiled and nodded.

"Love one." she said. Darry smiled and got up off the couch. Ginny could hear him searching the kitchen for something for them.

"We've got some wine, is that alright?" Darry called out. Ginny smiled to herself.

"Wine would be great, thanks." she said. He soon returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses. He sat down next to her and poured two glasses, giving one to her.

"I can't remember the last time we did something like this." Ginny said. Darry nodded his head.

"Yeah, I know. But I'm glad we are now." he said.

"Me too." Ginny smiled.

They sat and talked for ages, remembering things that happened in the past and when they were at school...it was like things were how they used to be...how they were supposed to be.

"It's getting pretty late." Ginny said. "I should probably be getting back."

"Ginny. One, it's really late. Two, it's pouring. And three, you've had something to drink...there is no way I'm letting you drive home." Darry said.

"But..." Ginny started. She stopped when Darry held her hand in his...and he wasn't drunk either. Ginny glanced down at their hands then back at him. They then realized that the distance between them was growing smaller...and neither one of them tried to stop it. Ginny closed her eyes and took a deep breath when...

**A/N: Haha! Cliffhanger!!! I was so tempted not to do it...but then what I pictured happening seemed to fit in better. So you'll just have to wait and see what happens next. By the way, thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter. You're right, Dally was being a #$%T ... or anything else that you called him, lol. I need you guys to let me know if you want to find out what happened with Dally in the next chapter, or if you wanna wait a while... So Please Review and let me know your ideas and suggestions. **

**Much Love**

**ML17**


	32. She Knows What She's Doing

**A/N: Hey All. Just wanna say a huge thankyou to everyone who reviewed the last couple of chapters. I know it was a pretty intense chapter with the whole break-up thing..but it was soo much fun to write lol. For those of you who are hanging out to find out why the hell Dally dumped her...you're just gonna have to wait a little longer for that...either the next chapter or perhaps the one after that. But PLEASE I AM BEGGING YOU... REVIEW and let me know your thoughts. If you have an idea as to why he did it...LET ME KNOW!!! Ok, So this chapter was fun to write too but it may seem a little rushed. Oh well, I just wanted to get it out there. Also, A HUGE thanks to ManthaS115 for some of the amazing ideas that I included in this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders, that belongs to S.E Hinton. I also don't own the song 'Am I not Pretty Enough', that's by Kasey Chambers. I only own Melody Curtis, Ginny Phelps, Tommy Phelps, (Scott and Andrew Greene) and the plot so far. so Enjoy!**

_Last Time: But..." Ginny started. She stopped when Darry held her hand in his...and he wasn't drunk either. Ginny glanced down at their hands then back at him. They then realized that the distance between them was growing smaller...and neither one of them tried to stop it. Ginny closed her eyes and took a deep breath when..._

The screen door opened suddenly. Darry and Ginny jumped apart and saw a very drunk looking Two-Bit stumbling through the door. He ran into Darry's armchair and the wall a couple of times before he finally stood still.

"Hey Darry, mind if I crash here? I think I might have had a little bit to drink." Two-Bit laughed. Darry sighed and got up.

"Yeah sure, just be quiet. Everyone's asleep." he said. Two-Bit nodded. Ginny grabbed the bottle and glasses and followed Darry out to the kitchen. She put the glasses in the sink and turned to face Darry, giving him a weak smile. Within a matter of minutes they could hear Two-Bit snoring in the living room. Darry sighed.

"You can stay in Melody's room tonight, If you like." he said. Ginny nodded.

"Thanks." she said. The two said goodnight before leaving to go to their seperate rooms.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Sodapop woke up the next morning with his arms wrapped protectively around his twin sister. He looked down at her sleeping face and sighed. He could vaguely see the tear stains on her cheeks from when she had been crying the night before, and her pillow was still a little damp. The poor kid wasn't taking the break-up well.

Slowly, Melody opened her eyes and looked up at her brother.

"Hey." he said softly, giving her a sympathetic smile.

"Hi" Mel replied, equally as soft. She brushed her hair out of her eyes with her bandaged hand.

"How are you feeling?" Soda wondered. Melody shrugged.

"Alright I guess." she said. Soda nodded his head in understanding. Ponyboy woke up a few minutes later and they decided to get up. They walked out into the living room and saw Two-Bit passed out on their couch, almost falling to the floor.

"I wonder when he got here." Ponyboy said. The twins shrugged and made their way to the kitchen. Darry was up and making breakfast as usual that morning, but what surprised the kids the most, was that Ginny was sitting at the kitchen table.

"Good Morning" Soda said. Ginny looked up from her coffee and smiled.

"Morning guys. Mel, I hope you don't mind, but I kinda borrowed your room last night." she said. Melody smiled.

"That's fine, you know you don't have to ask." she said. Ginny smiled and the others sat down beside her. Soda grabbed some glasses out of the cupboard and walked over to the fridge.

"When did Two-Bit get here?" he asked, pouring some chocolate milk for his siblings. Darry sighed and brought around a couple of plates of breakfast.

"Me and Ginny were talking last night when he came in and asked if he could crash." he said. Upon hearing this, Mel almost choked on her milk

"He what?!" she asked. The others looked at her as if she was crazy. But Darry, who knew what she was referring to, nodded his head. Mel began mumbling to herslef, saying something along the lines of 'dumbass' or something like that. After breakfast, Ginny drained the last of her coffee and went to get her stuff from Mel's room.

"I better get going. I still gotta pick Tommy up from his friend's house." she said. "Thanks again for having me here, guys."

"No problem, Ginny. You know we love having you here." Ponyboy said, making Ginny smile.

"Mel, I'll start working on your dress as soon as I can." she said. Melody smiled and nodded her head. She said one last goodbye before heading out the front door. The Curtis kids could hear her car engine start and drive down the street as Two-Bit got up and walked into the kitchen.

"What's for breakfast?" he asked, sitting down in Ginny's seat. Darry rolled his eyes and went to get Two-Bit some breakfast. When he wasn't looking, Melody slapped her best friend in the back of his head.

"Ouch! What the hell was that for?!" he wondered, rubbing his head furiously. Melody just shook her head and skulled the last of her milk. It was then that Two-Bit saw her bandaged arm. Soda noticed it and stopped him before he could ask what happened to her.

After breakfast, Johnny came over and asked in Ponyboy and Melody wanted to go catch a movie. Darry agreed, thinking it was a good excuse for Melody to get out of the house, and since Two-Bit told him that he hadn't seen Dally since the morning before. When they were gone, Two-Bit turned to the remaining brothers.

"So is someone gonna tell me what the hell happened with Melody?" he asked. The Curtis boys sighed and sat down at the table.

"Dally broke up with her." Darry explained.

"What? Why?!" Two-Bit wondered.

"We don't know. But me and Steve found Mel yesterday in her room. She completely trashed it and slammed her arm into a picture frame." Soda said, making Two-Bit wince at the thought.

"Jesus..." he said quietly.

"It took me ages to clean everything up. There were clothes everywhere and bits of paper..." Soda started. Two-Bit stopped and looked up suddenly.

"Did you say bits of paper?" he asked. Soda nodded.

"What did they look like?" He wondered. Soda shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know, they all had writing on them. Here, I kept them over here." He said, getting up. He walked to his room and pulled out a pile of papers and handed them to Two-Bit. Darry and Soda watched as Two-Bit sorted through the papers.

"These are her songs." he said.

"Songs?" Darry wondered. Two-Bit nodded.

"She told me she kept a notebook, and wrote all these songs in it to help vent her feelings after the accident. I can't believe she ripped them all out." he explained. The brothers both took a couple of sheets each and read them.

"Melody wrote these?" Darry wondered, shuffling through the papers.

"Yeah." Two-Bit said.

"Look at this one." Soda said. He pulled out a sheet of paper and put it in front of the others.

_Am I not pretty enough?  
Is my heart too broken?  
Do I cry too much?  
Am I too outspoken?  
Don't I make you laugh?  
Should I try it harder?  
Why do you see right through me?_

_I live, I breathe, I let it rain on me,  
I sleep, I wake, I try hard not to break,  
I crave, I love, I've waited long enough,  
I try as hard as I can._

_Am I not pretty enough?  
Is my heart too broken?  
Do I cry too much?  
Am I too outspoken?  
Don't I make you laugh?  
Should I try it harder?  
Why do you see right through me?_

_I laugh, I feel, I make believe it's real,  
I fall, I freeze, I pray down on my knees,  
I hope, I stand, I take it like a man,  
I try as hard as I can._

_Am I not pretty enough?  
Is my heart too broken?  
Do I cry too much?  
Am I too outspoken?  
Don't I make you laugh?  
Should I try it harder?  
Why do you see right through me?_

"So this is what she's been writing over the last couple of months? She's been writing songs?" Darry wondered.

"I guess she thought it was the only way she could get everything out." Soda said.

oOoOoOoOoOo

That night after dinner, Melody was sitting out alone on the porch steps, a cigarette dangling between her fingertips. She was looking blankly out at the stars when Soda came out and sat beside her.

"Can I ask you something?" he wondered.

"You just did." Mel said, holding the cigarette to her lips and taking a long drag. Soda rolled his eyes and held up her notebook that he, Darry and Two-Bit spent ages sticking back together.

"Why did you tear up all your songs?" Sodapop asked. Melody sighed.

"He told you huh?" she asked. Soda nodded.

"I don't know." Mel said. "I guess because a lot of them were about...him. And I just didn't wanna have another reminder of him." she said. Her twin nodded his head in understanding. Melody realized something and took off her necklace.

"Give this to him when you see him." she said, handing Dally's ring to her brother. She flicked her cigarette butt into the garden and walked back inside. Sodapop sighed to himself and got up, following his twin inside.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Two Weeks went by and Melody still wasn't the same girl she was, and it was starting to worry her brothers badly. She hardly ever laughed, they had to force her to smile, and she had stopped playing her guitar. All she did was go to school, go to work, and sleep...and it was driving everyone crazy!

One afternoon, after Mel, Soda and Steve came home from work, they found Two-Bit and Darry talking inside.

"What's going on?" Steve wondered. He was carrying Melody on his back.

"You guys are going to go out tonight." Darry said. Melody looked at the two confused as she slid off Steve's back.

"What?" she asked.

"We," Two-Bit said, indicating to the twins, Steve and himself, "Are going to a party at Bucks."

"But Darry...you never let us go anywhere near Bucks'" Soda said.

"I know...but seeing as you're all going together, and it will do you some good getting out of the house, I'm gonna let you." Darry said. After dinner, the four got ready for the party. Soda and Steve were in the bathroom, perfecting their hair, and Two-Bit and Melody were in her room getting ready.

"Are you sure tonight's a good idea?" Mel asked, raiding her closet. Two-Bit was lounging on her bed, looking at the few pairs of shoes she put out.

"Of course, Babe. Do you think I'd take you out if it wasn't a good idea?" he wondered. Melody turned around and gave him a look.

"...Ok, don't answer that." he laughed. Mel shook her head and looked through her clothes again. She didn't have many dresses or skirts or anything, since she hardly ever wore them. But she thought for tonight, she would try it. Two-Bit, for some odd reason, had by now, slipped on a pair of Mel's heels, and was now parading around her room in them.

"What do you think?" he asked, striking a pose for her. Mel turned around and laughed.

"I'm not even gonna ask why you're wearing those." she said. She pulled out a blue dress with a black belt, that came to just above her knee, and sat perfectly against her curves.

"What about this?" she asked, holding the dress up against herself. Two-Bit stopped and looked at her.

"Definately!" he said. Mel smiled and went to get changed. She came back in a few minutes later and grabbed her make up before heading to the bathroom.

"Alright boys, your hair is fine now get the hell out." she said, kicking Steve and Sodapop out of the bathroom before they could say another word. Melody put on her make-up and fixed her hair, pulling it out of the two braids it was in and letting the curls fall freely down her back.

"Two-Bit, I need my shoes, honey." Mel called out, leaving the bathroom. The boys looked up from where they were sitting and stared at her, their mouths dropping to the floor.

"Wow...Mel you look great." Steve said. Melody smiled.

"Aww, thank's Stevie." she said.

They heard the sound of something against the floor and turned around to see Two-Bit walking over to them in Mel's heels. The guys doubled over with laughter as Two-Bit slipped the shoes off and handed them to Melody.

"I don't see why girls complain so much...they're so easy to walk in." he shrugged. Melody laughed and leaned against the armchair, trying to put her shoes on.

"Alright, you lot. Have a good time, but be careful and be quiet when you get home... and not too late either." Darry warned. The others gave him a mock salute before they left the house. They piled into Steve's car and drove a couple of blocks to Buck's place.

The place was already packed when they got there. People were hanging out outside as well as in the house. Steve wrapped his arm protectively around Mels shoulders as they all went inside.

"You guys find some seats, I'll go grab us some drinks."Two-Bit said. The other three nodded and managed to find a spare couple of seats and sat down waiting for Two-Bit to come back. He came back with four beers and took a seat next to Sodapop. They were laughing at something that Steve said when out of the corner of her eye, Melody saw someone she had dreaded seeing for two weeks.

"Of all the nights to show his face, he picks tonight." she said, mostly to herself. Soda looked up and followed her gaze. Upon seeing Dally, he felt his fists clench tightly.

"Don't worry about him, babe. Let's just have some fun." he told his sister. Mel nodded and took another swig of her beer. But she couldn't help looking up at him again. Only this time, he was looking right back. She felt his cold, icy blue eyes piercing hers, but she couldn't look away. Dal honestly looked as if he wanted to say something, but just contorted his face and looked away angrilly.

"I'm going to get another drink." Mel said. She got off her seat and went over to the bar, purposely walking by Dally. She got another beer and was about to head back to her friends when a voice stopped her.

"How's it going, Curtis?"

Mel turned around and found herself staring face-to-face with Curly Shepard.

"Pretty good, Shepard." she said.

"I heard about you and Winston...tough break." he said. Melody cringed mentally, but nodded her head. Then she had an idea.

"Yeah, but it's alright. I mean, I'm not tied down anymore." she said, glancing over at Dally, who was pretending not to notice. Curly smirked.

"I guess that's true. So, you wanna dance?" he asked. Mel smiled and nodded. Across the room, Steve, Soda and Two-Bit were watching the scene unfold.

"She's not..." Steve wondered. The other two nodded.

"Don't worry...she knows what she's doing." Two-Bit said. Meanwhile, Melody and Curly were dancing pretty close, much to Dal's annoyance. When the song ended, Curly kissed Mel and made his way over to another girl. Melody grinned slyly over at Dal and walked over to her friends.

"Having fun trying to torment him?" Soda wondered. Melody laughed.

"I have no idea what you mean." she said. The three guys looked at her, and she sighed.

"Ok. But it's obviously not working." Mel said. Steve grinned.

"You went for the wrong Sheppard." he said, taking a sip of his beer.


	33. Taste of his own Medicine

**A/N: Hey All. Just wanna clear something up, just in case there was any confusion. In the disclaimer in the last chapter, I said in brackets (Scott and Andrew Greene). This meant Andrew Greene, the soc from previous chapters, and Kathy's brother, Scott. I don't actually have a last name for Kathy and Scott yet, so if anyone can come up with one, let me know!**

**Another HUGE Thankyou to ManthaS115 for the constant help and emails going back and forth, helping me with this Chapter.**

The other three practically choked on their drinks, making Steve start laughing uncontrolably.

"You are just cruel." Two-Bit said, pointing accusingly at Steve. Steve just shrugged.

"Hey, what's right is right." he said. Melody stayed quiet for a long while. She fiddled with the beer bottle in her hand then looked up at the guys.

"I'm gonna do it." she said. They guys looked up at her.

"What?" Soda asked. Melody shrugged.

"Why not. It's obvious that Dally's not getting jealous enough...and what better person to make him jealous with than Tim Shepard?" she asked. The guys sat deep in thought, contemplating this.

"Don't you see? Tim's Dally's best friend, but they still love to hate each other. It will, hopefully, drive him nuts to see me with him." Mel finished. The other guys smiled and nodded.

"My sister is pure evil." Soda said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Mel simply smiled and put her drink down.

"But right now, you all owe me a dance." she said, pulling her brother up off his seat. Soda smiled and took his sister's hand and they walked over to the dancefloor. Lucky for them, the song was fast and upbeat, so Soda was spinning Mel around and dipping her, making her laugh.

"It's good to hear you laugh again." he said, pulling her back up from a dip. Melody smiled at her beloved twin brother.

"I'm sorry if I've been kind of a bitch this past couple of weeks." She said sadly. Soda shrugged.

"Don't worry about it...I'm used to it by now." he said, earning a slap from Mel. They danced for a couple more songs before Soda felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Steve standing there.

"Mind If I cut in?" he asked. Soda rolled his eyes and let go of his sister and went back to their seats. They danced for a little while when Two-Bit walked over.

"Alright, quit hogging the girl. I wanna dance with her too." he said childishly. Melody laughed as she began dancing with her best friend.

"So you're really gonna go for it?" he asked, spinning Mel back to him. She grinned evilly and nodded. Two-Bit laughed.

"Shoot girl, you really are evil." he laughed.

"Time to give Dallas Winston a taste of his own medicine." Mel said. The song ended and Two-Bit went to get everyone another beer. Mel looked around the bar, looking for Tim Shepard, but couldn't find him anywhere. She was about to walk back to the guys when a familiar voice stopped her.

"I know what you're planning, kid." Melody spun around and saw Tim Shepard grinning at her.

"You do huh?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips. Tim nodded.

"Yep...and I want in." he told her.

"Really?" Melody asked. Tim laughed and nodded again.

"Sure, any chance to piss him off." He said. Melody smiled and nodded. Tim took her hand and they walked to the dancefloor. They started dancing pretty close, making it look pretty convincing. Soda, Steve and Two-Bit were trying not to laugh at Dally's reaction. They saw the anger flare up in his eyes as he turned away and ordered another beer from Buck.

After they finished dancing, Tim wrapped his arm around Mel's waist and pulled her close to him as they walked over to the bar and grabbed a couple of beers. Dally gave them cold looks as they stood opposite him, with Mel leaning against the wall laughing at something Tim said. Finally, he had had enough. Dally slammed his beer down onto the bar and stormed over to them.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked angrily. Melody and Tim turned and looked at him.

"Oh, Hey Dallas. Fancy seeing you here." Melody said sweetly, making Tim snicker. But Dally didn't laugh.

"What the fuck are you doing, Melody?!" he asked, a little more forcefull this time. Mel rolled her eyes.

"What does it look like?" she asked.

"You're with Shepard." Dally pointed out.

"Well done, Dallas. Nothing gets past you, does it?" she replied sarcastically.

"Why the fuck are you with Shepard?" Dally wondered. Melody shrugged.

"Well, seeing as how I'm no longer your girl, I thought I'd come out here, have a little fun...you know how it is, right Dal." Mel said.

"Not Shepard." Dally said.

"Excuse me?" Mel wondered. Dally shook his head.

"Not Shepard." he repeated. Melody forced out a laugh.

"What makes you think that you can tell me what I can and can't do? We broke up, remember?!" She said, shoving his back. Dal took a step toward her but Tim stepped in between the two

"Look Winston," Tim said. "You had your chance with her. Let Curtis make up her own mind alright." He wrapped his arm around Mel's shoulders and the two walked away. But Dallas wasn't done yet. The other three boys kept a look out, making sure that they were still in their sights.

"Shut up. You stay out of this, Shepard!" Dally snapped.

"What do you care anyway?" Melody snapped, turning around to face her ex. Dally crossed his arms.

"I don't." He lied. Melody smirked.

"Well, if that's the case, you won't mind if I do this." she said. She pulled Tim by his shirt down and pressed her lips to his hungrily. Tim responded by wrapping one of his around her waist, pulling her close. The other was all over her back and her leg. When they broke apart, Dally threw a punch at Tim, sending him to the ground. Shepard got up angrily and shoved Dal, accidentally pushing Mel into the wall. Melody screamed and the others came running. They arrived just in time to see the two guys fighting on the ground.

"Will you both stop it?!" Melody screamed, as Tim punched Dally in the jaw. Two-But raced over and pulled Melody out of the way. The young Curtis ran into her brother's arms.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Steve said, pulling the two away.

"You guys go ahead. I'm gonna stay a little longer." Two-Bit said.

"You sure?" Soda asked, holding a trembling Melody in his arms. Steve took his jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders. Two-Bit nodded.

"Yeah, I'll sort these two out and I'll drop by your place in the morning." he said. The others nodded and both Steve and Soda took one of Mel's hands and they left the party.

"Well...that didn't go as well as we had hoped." Steve said as the three of them piled into the car. They arrived home and quietly snuck into the house. Steve took the couch and to save waking Pony, Soda crashed in Melody's room with her.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The next morning, the twins woke up and found Steve, Ponyboy and Johnny in the kitchen.

"Hey, you alright after last night, Mel?" Steve asked, as the twins came and sat down at the table. Melody yawned and nodded.

"Anyone heard from Two-Bit?" she wondered. The others shook their heads as Ponyboy brought his siblings a glass of chocolate milk. A Few minutes later, they all heard the screen door slam, announcing that Two-Bit had arrived.

"How did everything go last night?" Soda asked. Two-Bit shrugged and sat down next to Steve, stealing some of his breakfast.

"I managed to stop them fighting, with Buck's help. Then Dally stormed off into his room upstairs. I'm gonna go see him soon. Wanna come with me, Johnnycake?" he asked.

"Sure." Johnny said quietly. After breakfast, Ponyboy went to the movies and Steve and the twins got ready for work.

Two-Bit and Johnny arrived at Buck's and went upto Dally's room. Two-Bit didn't even bother knocking on the door, they just walked right in and threw the curtains open.

"Jesus Christ! What the fuck is wrong with you?" Dally groaned from his bed, pulling the pillow over his head..

"We're gotta talk." Two-Bit said furiously. Dally looked up at him and groaned, throwing the pillow at Two-Bit.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"Well, first of all...what the hell?!" Two-Bit asked angrily. Dally finally sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"what the hell are you on about?" he asked tiredly.

"Why…how could you do that to her?" Two-Bit asked.

"I'm not talking about that" Dally said stubbornly.

"Yes you are. How could you break her heart like that?" Two-Bit wondered. He was now pacing the room angrily, afraid that he would hit something or some one. Johnny just stood silently by the door.

"I didn't mean to…" Dally said. Upon hearing this, Two-Bit stopped pacing and looked at Dal.

"you didn't mean to?!" He asked incredulously. Dally sighed.

"I was doing her a favour"

"By what? Ripping heart into shreds? Do you know how broken hearted she is? And of course the events of last night didn't really help...AT ALL!" Two-Bit said.

"Hey, she started that!" Dally said defensively. Two-Bit sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah...to make you jealous!" he said. He honestly couldn't believe that he was really that stupid. Dally sighed and held his head in his hands.

"I'm not right for her man." he said.

"What do you mean, not right for her…you guys are perfect together!" Johnny said, speaking up for the first time. To tell you the truth, the other two had almost forgotten that he was there at all.

"It was my fault all that happened to her that night. If she wasn't with me then she never would have run away and she never would have gotten hurt." Dally said.

"That's bullshit! You cant blame yourself for what those lowlifes did. You tried to help her and you couldn't…" Two-Bit said. Dally sighed and got up.

"Its too dangerous…her being my girl." he said, softly.

"Jesus Christ Dal! You love her don't you?!" Two-Bit said. Dally looked at him in shock.

"What?"

"It's not a difficult question, Dal. You either love her or you don't. But seeing the way you treated her..."

"Goddamn it! Of course I do! I love her more than anything!" Dal yelled suddenly. The room went quiet after that. Dally only just realized what he had said.

"I...I do. I love her." he saod, more to himself than anyone else.

"Did you actually tell her that?" Johnny asked. Dal looked up at him

"What?"

"Did you actually tell melody that you loved her?" Johnny repeated. Dally though about it, then slapped himself in the face.

"…No. I don't think I did." he said.

"Then what the hell are you gonna do about it." Two-Bit wondered. Dally sighed in frustration.

"Theres nothing I can do. I just threw away the best thing that ever happened to me." he said, tossing another pillow across the room. Two-Bit sighed and sat down next to him.

"Dal, I love her too. Not like the way you do, I love her like a little sister. I hate seeing her like this...we all do." he said. Johnny nodded in agreement.

"What am I gonna do?" Dally asked. Two-Bit thought about it for a while then an evil smile crept onto his face....something what didn't go unnoticed by the others.

"Oh no...this can't be good." Johnny said worriedly.

"I've got an idea, come on." Two-Bit smiled, dragging the other two to the door.

"Why do I feel like I'm gonna regret this?" Dally wondered as he was pushed out of the door.

**A/N: Ooh.. That was interesting lol. What's Two-Bit got planned for Dal? REVIEW and let me know your thoughts**


	34. There's Something Wrong with your sink

**A/N: Hi Everyone. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter...I know you all can't wait to see what Two-Bit has planned. If you like, drop me a line, either in a REVIEW or a PM, and let me know your thoughts/ideas/suggestions/questions about the plan or anything at all about this story. I cant wait to see what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I don't know anything or anyone you recognize from the movie/book. Melody Curtis, Connie and Michael, Kathy and Scott, Ginny and Tommy Phelps, Andres Greene (and anyone else that are not in the book/movie) and the Plot so far are property of me and me alone.**

Another week went by and Melody hardly left the house since that night at Buck's. She and the boys had dropped Ponyboy off at the movies before Steve took them to work. She was working on a car when both Steve and Soda came out of the office.

"We're taking you out tonight." Steve said. Melody looked up from under the hood of the car at them.

"We tried a night out…and it didn't go so well, remember?" she said, grabbing a wrench from the workbench.

"Blame your ex for that one." Steve said. Melody rolled her eyes and went back to work. Soda sighed and wrapped his arms around his sister's shoulders.

"Come on, sis. It'll be fun. We'll grab something to eat at the Dingo, and we'll find something to do. I think I heard a rumor about a race tonight." He said. Melody's eyes lit up at the sound of this.

"Well…I'll think about it." She said, a small smile plying at the corners of her lips. The boys laughed. They knew that Melody hardly ever refused the chance to go to a drag race.

oOoOoOoOoOo

For the first time in a long while, Darry had the day off. The twins were at work and Ponyboy was at the movies, so the house was unusually quiet. He was able to sleep in and get up whenever he wanted, something he hardly ever got to do anymore.

When he was fully awake, Darry got up and enjoyed a peaceful breakfast without the gang fighting over food or wrestling in the hallway. He did the dishes and then some washing before relaxing for a few hours.

Later that afternoon, he decided he needed to freshen up after all that cleaning, so he had a shower without having to fight one of his siblings for use of the bathroom. He was just getting dressed when he heard a voice at the door.

"Anyone home?" A voice called from the doorway. Darry walked out of his room with his shirt in his hand.

"Oh, hey Ginny." he said. Ginny blushed and started twirling her hair between her fingers, determined not to look at him directly.

"What?" Darry wondered. Ginny smiled weakly and pointed to him, still not making eye-contact. Darry looked down and realized that he was still holding his shirt.

"Oh right." Darry said. He was obviously embarrassed. He quickly threw his shirt over his head.

"Uh...you can look now." he said. Ginny looked up and smiled.

"...Hi." she said. Darry laughed.

"Hi." he said. "Come on in." Ginny smiled in thanks and came inside.

"Uh... is Melody home? I've got her dress here for her to try on." she said, holding up the dress bag.

"Actually, she's at work. Soda and Steve are planning to take her out tonight after. Trying to keep her mind off things, I guess." Darry said. Ginny nodded her head in understanding.

"Oh, alright then. I guess I'll have to catch her another time then." She said, turning towards the door.

"Ginny wait." Darry said. Ginny turned around again to face him.

"Do...do you want a cup of coffee or something?" Darry wondered, running his hand through his hair. Ginny smiled and nodded.

"I'd love one." she said. Darry smiled and they made their way into the kitchen. He gestured to a seat at the table as he went to the stove and boiled the kettle.

"Let's see if I remember...white and two?" Darry asked. Ginny smiled and nodded.

"Wow...after all this time you remember how I like my coffee...very impressive Darry." she laughed. Darry shrugged.

"I'm a man of many talents." he said, walking over with two cups of coffee. He set one down in front of her before sitting down.

"So, day off today?" Ginny wondered. Darry smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. I was having a little trouble finding things to keep busy." He laughed. Ginny smiled and sipped her coffee. The two of them sat at the table, once again remembering times of the past.

"Do you remember that time you almost got kicked out of the match for arguing?" Darry said. Ginny threw her head back and laughed.

"Hey! That referee was way out of line." She protested. Darry laughed again and took another sip of his coffee.

"We did have some good times though, didn't we?" Ginny wondered.

"Yeah…we did." Darry admitted. "Too bad it couldn't stay that way." He said sadly, looking down at his coffee cup. Ginny sighed and rested her hand on his.

"We can't do anything about what's already happened, Darry. We just have to live now." She said. Darry looked up at her and smiled in thanks. She smiled in return then laughed as she tapped her fingernails against the cup.

"What?" Darry wondered.

"Seems just like old times, huh?" Ginny wondered. Darry smiled and nodded.

"Yeah...old times." he said.

"Here, I'll take these." Ginny said, taking the cups over to the sink to wash them. Darry smiled in thanks.

"Uh...Darry?" Ginny said.

"Yeah?"

"There's something wrong with your sink." Ginny said.

"What?" Darry wondered, getting up from the table.

"Yeah. There's no water or anything." Ginny said. Darry walked over and could see that she was trying to turn on the taps, but nothing was happening.

"Here, let me have a go." he said. Ginny gestured forward and moved out of the way so Darry could have a look. Sure enough, there was no water coming out of the tap.

"That's strange." he said. Ginny set the cups down so they both could have a look. They tried everything, twisting this, and turning that. Suddenly, not sure of what they did, the tap started spraying water everywhere. Ginny gasped in surprise and tried her best to turn away from the water, but it was no use. They were both soaked. Ginny looked down at her saturated clothes then up at Darry, who was now staring angrily at the tap, and burst out laughing.

"You do realize that you're giving the evil eye to the kitchen sink, right?" she laughed. Darry's stern face cracked up at at that and he started laughing too.

"And to think, I just changed my shirt." he laughed. He then looked at Ginny, who was trying to wring the water out of her shirt.

"Oh ...I can grab you a change of clothes if you like?" He offered.

"Oh it's ok." she said.

"Don't be stupid." Darry said. "I'll see if Melody has anything." He went to his sister's room and searched for something for Ginny. He returned a few minutes later with a large oversized shirt.

"There's nothing really clean in there, so I grabbed you one of mine. I hope you don't mind." he said. Ginny smiled and shook her head.

"No, that's fine. I'll just be a second." She said. Darry nodded and watched her go to Mel's room. He sighed and went to his room to change once again. They both returned at the same time. Darry left the buttons on his shirt and fixed the collar as he looked at her in his shirt...she looked amazing. Ginny couldn't help but stare at his bare chest. Of course he had to wear it open didn't he? Finally she snapped out of her little fantasy and noticed that he was staring right back at her. She smiled and snapped her fingers.

"Darry?" she said. Darry snapped out of it and looked away.

"Any chance I could grab another coffee?" Ginny wondered, pushing the sleeves up. Darry smiled and nodded as they walked back into the kitchen. Darry went and reached out for the kettle when Ginny stopped him.

"You made them last time. I'll do it." she said. Darry smiled in thanks and stood back. He turned around and was about to walk to the table when he heard a slipping sound. He turned quickly and saw Ginny falling back. Darry raced over to her and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He looked around to try and figure out why she slipped when he saw a puddle of water on the floor from earlier.

Once she steadied herself, Ginny noticed that his arm was still wrapped around her waist. Slowly, she twisted around so that she was now facing him. Without realizing it, she found her hands resting against his chest.

Darry tightened his grip around her waist. Ginny blushed and let her face fall. Darry sighed to himself. If he was ever going to do this...now was his chance. He lifted her face with his finger so they were looking eye to eye.

Daringly, he leaned in, moving his face closer to hers, the distance between them getting smaller and smaller. Finally he lightly touched his lips against hers. But that wasn't enough. He leaned in once more, this time more forcefully and captured her lips in another kiss.

Ginny sighed against the kiss and moved her hands from his bare chest, wrapping them around his neck tightly. She gasped when felt Darry's hand move to her back, but only because his hands were cold. They broke apart for a moment to catch their breath.

"So is that one of you many talents?" Ginny wondered.

"Possbily...but you don't know how long I've wanted to do that." Darry breathed, resting his forehead against hers.

"Really?" Ginny wondered. Darry nodded.

"Yeah, I've just been too damn nervous. I thought..." he said. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Darry?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and kiss me, will ya?" Ginny laughed. Darry smiled as she pulled him by his collar into another kiss. Darry's hand travelled down her thigh and hoisted her up onto the kitchen bench. Ginny moved her hands to his shoulders and slipped his shirt off as she deepened the kiss.

A polite cough was heard behind them. The two broke apart to see the twins and Steve leaning in the doorway, all with very amused looks on their faces. Melody had her hand over Ponyboy's eyes.

"Hi guys...having fun?" Melody laughed, trying to keep a straight face. Darry and Ginny looked embarrassed. Ginny hid her face against Darry's chest.

"Don't mind us, we're just getting changed." Melody said. "Come on Sodiepop." She said. But Soda didn't move.

"Do you guys love each other?" he wondered. Darry chuckled nervously.

"Keep going, little brother." He warned. Soda's eyes lit up instantly.

"Oh I see...you DO love each other!" he exclaimed. They heard Melody groan in annoyance and walk back to the kitchen and pull Soda away by his ear.


	35. A Night out with Steve and Sodapop

**A/N: Hey Everyone. Sorry if this chapter isn't as good as some of the others, I've never really been in a drag race before, let alone written about one. So if it's terrible, I apologise, but please dont flame it or anything...I'm trying my best. Remember, I need ideas for this story to continue, people!!! So Either REVIEW or PM me and tell me your thoughts... I really need help!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not doing the whole disclaimer thing now. I'm just gonna mention that I do own Jeff McCallister in this chapter.**

Melody smiled to herself as she felt the hot water hit her body. It felt so good to get in the shower after her day at work, needing to wash all the grease and oil off her skin. After a few minutes, she shut the water off, regretfully. Mel climbed out of the shower and wrapped her towel around her body tightly as she left the bathroom. She didn't want to get out after that beautiful hot shower, but she knew she had to. Although, she was lucky enough to get in before Soda did, so there was at least some hot water left for her.

"Soda, bathroom." she shouted, drying her hair. Her twin came running in from the living room as fast as anything and closed the door behind him. Mel laughed and walked over to her room. Steve turned around, looking at her from his spot on the couch and whistled. Melody rolled her eyes and closed her bedroom door.

Steve and Soda were taking her out for the night, determined to keep her out of the house fro a while. She was looking through her clothes, trying to find something to wear when there was a knock at her bedroom door.

"Yeah?" she called out, pulling a pair of jeans out of her closet. The door opened and Ginny walked in.

"Hey. I kinda forgot to tell you before, I have your dress for you to try on." she said. Melody's eyes lit up when Ginny handed her the bag.

"Thanks, Gin. Uhh, have a seat...if you can find one that is." she smiled and raced to try it on. Ginny smiled and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Just a heads up, it's a little shorter that the one in the store, but I don't think you'll mind that much." she said.

"Ok, what do you think?" Mel asked. Ginny turned around and smiled.

"It's perfect." she said. Mel grinned and hugged her friend before going to get changed. Ginny smiled and put the dress safely in Mel's closet before heading back out to the living room.

"Did she try on the dress?" Darry wondered. Ginny smiled and nodded. Both Soda and Steve came out of the bathroom after fixing their hair.

"What dress?" Steve wondered.

"Mel's dress for the dance." Darry said.

"Well, can we see it?" Soda wondered. Ginny smiled and shook her head.

"Not until the night of the dance." she said. Soda rolled his eyes and he and Steve sat on the couch waiting for Mel. Eventually, she came out of her room, dressed in her jeans and a striped top that she found in the back of her closet.

"Ready?" Soda asked. Mel nodded and pulled her jacket on.

"Alright, have fun guys. But remember, don't be too loud when you get back in case we're asleep." Darry warned. The three agreed and walked outside to where Steve parked his car.

"Ok, so what are we doing?" Mel wondered, getting inside the car.

"Well, first we're getting dinner...I'm starving!" Steve said, putting the key in the ignition. Soda and Mel started laughing.

"Do you ever think of anything but your stomach?" Soda wondered. Steve just shrugged as they sped off down the road. They soon pulled up outside the Dingo. Soda jumped out and walked around to the other door. He opened it and held out his hand for his sister. Mel smiled nad thr three of them went inside. They sat down at a booth and ordered. Before long, their meals arrived.

"Three burgers and fries?" the waitress asked. They nodded and she set down the plates. After a little flirting between her and Steve, the waitress went to get them some more drinks. Steve, obviously pleased with himself, turned his attention to his dinner, but stopped when he saw the twins looking at him.

"What?" he asked. Soda and Mel laughed.

"You, flirting with that wiatress." Mel said. "What would Evie think?" Steve shrugged.

"We're taking a break, apparently." he said.

"Since when?" Soda wondered, taking a bite of his burger.

"Since about four hours ago. Remember when she came into work today?" Steve asked. The twins nodded their heads in understanding. The three of them sat there enjoying their meal and talking and laughing about god knows what.

Mel was laughing at something Steve said when something caught her eye. Her smile faded instantly as she saw two people outside. Soda was about to ask what was wrong when he saw them too. It was none other than Dally, in the arms of a girl none of them recognised. They were laughing and talking before he pulled her into a hug.

"Well, it seems he's moved on." Mel said, fiddling with a couple of fries on her plate.

"You want us to go do something?" Steve offered, almost smiling at the chance to get into a fight, even if it was with Dallas. Melody shook her head and smiled weakly.

"No, it's ok. I'm over him." she said. The guys looked at her in disbelief.

"What? I am. I really am over him." she insisted.

"Alright, We believe you." Soda said.

"We do?" Steve wondered. Soda kicked him under the table.

"Yes, we do." he said. Melody rolled her eyes and finished off her burger. When they were done, they paid for their meals and got back into the car. They drove down an old dirt road until they spotted heaps of people and cars. They parked the car and walked around, looking out for people they knew. Suddenly, Melody felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her waist.

"Alright Greaser, you've had it." the voice said. Melody laughed and shook her head.

"Hey Two-Bit." she said. Two-Bit smiled and kssed her cheek.

"How'd you know it was me?" he asked, releasing her from his arms. Melody shrugged and they walked around a little more. They sat down by their cars and watched a few races and having a few drinks that Two-Bit conveniently put in his car that afternoon. After a while majority of the races were won by a guy by the name of Jeff McCallister. Jeff didn't really belong to a gang, but he did have a few 'followers' and was known for being tough to beat in a race.

"Oh come on. " McCallister laughed. "Surely someone else wants to race." People were quietly talking amongst themselves. Nobody else wanted to race him...he was unbeatable.

"Yeah." a voicesaid from the crowd. McCallister, and everyone else, turned around to see who spoke. They all turned and saww Two-Bit standing on the car. He drained the last of his beer before jumping down.

"You wanna race me?" McCallister wondered incredulosly. Two-Bit shook his head.

"No." he said. McCallister laughed.

"I didn't think so." he said, turning around.

"I don't want to race you...but I'm sure she does." Two-Bit said, pointing to Melody. McCallister spun around at the word 'she'. Girls didn't race. It just wasn't done.

"Did you say she?" he asked. Two-Bit grinned and nodded. McCallister took one look at Mel and laughed.

"You really think some stupid broad can beat me in a race?" he laughed. Melody stood up on the car.

"First of all, smartass, I'm not stupid. And I know I can kick your ass anyday." she challenged. The boys smiled proudly as they watched with interest.

"Fine...just don't start crying when I beat you." McCallister said. Mel rolled her eyes.

"What are we racing for?" she asked.

"Well, usually money...but how do you feel about changing the stakes a little?" McCallister wondered.

"Hey, that's not fair." Soda said, but Melody told him to be quiet.

"What did you have in mind?" she asked. McCallister grinned evilly.

"Winner gets the others car." he said. Steve's eyes widened...he knew Mel would want to race his car.

_'say no say no say no say no say no...'_

"Deal." Mel smiled. Steve mentally kicked himself for taking them there that night. The crowd cheered and went to get a good seat for the race. Mel and the boys jumped down from the hood of the car.

"Do you have to use my car?" Steve whined. Mel smiled and nodded. Steve groaned and kicked the front tyre in a bid to vent his frustration.

"What If you lose, I'll never talk to you again if you lose my car." Steve warned. The twins laughed.

"Steve, you've been saying that since the third grade." Soda laughed, making Steve sulk like a little kid. "Come on, how many races has she actually lost?"

"Soda's right, Stevie." Two-Bit said. "The girl's one hell of a driver." Mel smiled brightly.

"And think about it, you won't have to drive us everywhere if we win." Soda added. Steve pouted and sighed in frustration.

"Fine! But if you lose, you owe me big time, Curtis." he said. Mel winked and blew them a kiss.

"I'm gonna win us another car, boys." she said, getting in the car.

"Kick some ass, kid." Two-Bit said, hitting the top of the car before she drove a head. The guys races up and grabbed the best seats they could. Melody pulled up alongside McCallister who was grinning smugly at her. A guy with blonde hair stood in front of them, holding a large flag in his hands.

"Alright, you both race to the old farm house down the road and back. The first one back is the winner." he said. The two drivers started their engines, revving them as much as they could, causing the crowd to go crazy. The flag went down and the race began. The boys went completely nuts as Mel sped down the road.

At first, McCallister was ahead of her, but Mel floored it and overtook him within seconds... which didn't make him too happy. Determined to win at all costs, McCallister came up along side of Steve's car. Mel took her eyes off the road to look at him, noticing the evil glint in his eyes. Without warning, he turned the wheel and rammed right into the side of the car, sending Mel swerving a little.

"My Car!" Steve said under his breath. Both Soda and Two-Bit looked at each other before slapping him in the head.

"Your car?!" They asked.

"What about _my _sister?!" Soda exclaimed. Steve apologized and they focused their attention on the race once more. They were getting close to the old farm house now, Mel could just see it in the distance. Once again, she picked up as much speed as she could and drove right next to her opponant.

When they reached the farm house, both cars made sharp turns and headed back in the other direction. Mel knew she couldn't afford to lose this race. Not only would she lose Steve's car, but she couldn't let McCallister win. That guy was too smug and she honestly hated his guts...not to mention he tried to ram her off the freaking road!

They were nearing the end of the track. Mel could hear the cheers and shouts coming from everyone watching them. The bastard was in front, not by much, but enough to win the race. But there was no way she was going to let that happen. With everything she had, Melody pushed down on the accelerator as hard as she could until she was just that little bit in front. Then, in a move that could only be defined as either brilliant or completely stupid, she turned the wheel and swerved in front off him, cutting him off, and passed the finish line.

The crowd went completely crazy once again as mel shut off the engine. Soda, Two-Bit and Steve jumped up out of their spots and ran over to the car, faster than anything, and jumped up onto the hood, cheering like the pack of idiots they were.

"Holy shit! You did it kid!" Two-Bit said happily. Mel smiled and got out of the car before being pulled into a huge hug by her brother then Steve and Two-Bit.

McCallister stopped his car, and punched his steering wheel in frustration before looking over at Melody. She smiled at him, giving the same smug smile he showed at the beginning of the race.

"I'll be having my car now, thanks." she said. McCallister sighed to himself and got out of the car, dangling its keys in his hand as he walked over to the celebrating group.

"You're one hell of a driver, kid. And I don't say that often...but you really can race." he said, offering his hand. Mel looked at it skeptically bwfore smiling and shaking his hand.

"You too." she said. McCallister managed to smile and threw the keys at her, allowing Mel to catch them one-handed.

"Take care of it." he said before walking away. Mel smiled to herself and turned to her brother, who was still celebrating with the guys.

"Soda?" she said, walking over to them.

"Yeah?" Melody smiled and took his hand, placing the keys in his palm. Soda's smile faded and his eyes widened as he looked up at his twin.

"Mel...what are you doing?" he asked. The other Curtis shrugged her shoulders.

"You need it more than I do." she said. Soda shook his head and tried to give the keys back.

"No."

"Yes. I can get around other ways." Mel said. Soda sighed.

"You just put up one hell of a fight to win this car...I'm not taking it from you." he said.

"Soda..."

"How about we share it. Will you settle for that, oh stubborn one?" he asked playfully. Mel rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Sure." she said.

"With that said...can I drive it home?" Soda asked. He sounded like a little kid begging for candy. Melody couldn't help but laugh.

"Go ahead. But we better get home now." Mel said. They said goodbye to Two-Bit and Steve, who was thankful that his car was returned to him in one piece, and got in their new car and drove home. When they got there, they were met with the unusual sight of Darry sitting in the seat outside reading. He looked up at the twins when he head the car engine pull up out front.

"I'm surprised you're still up, big brother." Soda laughed. Darry rolled his eyes and got a good look at the car.

"Who's car is that?" he asked. The twins looked at each other.

"Ours." they said together. Darry raised his eyebrow at them.

"You didn't have a car when you left...where'd you get it?" he asked. He hoped they didn't do anything that they would regret.

"I won it." Mel said. Darry was about to say something when his sister's words registered properly. Realization dawned on him in a matter of moments.

"You raced for it didn't you?" he asked, going into 'The Overprotective big brother' mode, as the twins called it.

"Umm...well, you see I..." Mel started. She gave up after seeing the look on Darry's face. "Umm.... Kinda."

"Melody..." he warned.

"Yes Darry?" Mel answered sweetly, playing innocent.

"You know how I feel about you racing." he said. Melody sighed.

"I know. But look at it this way. Now we wont have to bum rides off you any more and you wont be late for work when Soda's slow or forgets his shoes or something." she said.

"Yeah...Hey!" Soda said. Darry and Mel laughed.

"Yeah I guess." Darry said, finally starting to give in.

"Besides...It's a nice car, isn't it?" Mel said. Darry laughed and nodded and the three went inside the house.


	36. It will pass

**Disclaimer: I don't own the song in this chapter, it belongs to Roy Orbison...I think. or whoever owns his songs after he died. Please check out my A/N at the end of the chapter.**

After school, Melody and Kathy were walking outside when they heard a car horn. They turned around and saw Soda waiting for them in the new car. The girls smiled and ran over to the car.

"This is your new ride?" Kathy wondered. The twins smiled and nodded.

"Damn girl." she said. Melody laughed and turned to her brother.

"What are you doing here?" she wondered. Soda shrugged.

"I had a break so I thought I would save you the trouble of having to walk to work." he said.

"Oh how thoughtful." Mel said, rolling her eyes. "Face it, Sodiepop...you just wanted another excuse to drive it, didn't you?"

"That too." Soda said. Melody laughed and said goodbye to Kathy before she got in the car. Steve was just coming out of the office when the twins pulled up.

"You and that damn car, Soda." he said, shaking his head.

"You're just jealous." Soda said, sticking his tongue out at his best friend. Melody rolled her eyes at how immature they could be sometimes.

"I'm gonna go get changed." she said, slinging her bag over her shoulder before disappearing inside the office. Before too long, Two-Bit and Dally came up the drive.

"How's it going guys?" Two-Bit wondered.

"Not much, Soda's fining any excuse to get out and drive." Steve laughed, earning himself a smack in the head from Soda.

"Man, I don't blame you, that's one tuff car." Two-Bit said. He looked at Dally then looked at the others. "I gotta talk to you both." he said. Soda and Steve nodded before they made their way towards the office.

"I don't know man, what if she comes out?" Soda wondered.

"So what?"

"If she sees him...she'll kill him." Steve said. Dally sighed to himself and wandered around the shop. He heard the office door opening and looked up, expecting to see one of the guys, but in fact saw Melody coming out while puling her hair back. She looked up at him and instantly, her smile faded.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. Dally shrugged.

"Waiting for Two-Bit." he said. Melody shrugged and walked into the shop. Dal stood there for a while, just watching her work, as he tried to figure out what to say to her.

"Listen, I..." he said finally.

"I would have thought that you had already said everything." Melody said, cutting him off. Dally sighed in frustration. It was clear that this wasn't going to be easy.

"Kid, I'm trying to talk to you." he said. Melody just continued working in the shop, trying to ignore the fact that he was there.

"Yeah, well I don't wanna talk to you." she said, pushing past him to grab a screwdriver from the bench behind him.

"I'm crazy about you, Kid." he said finally. Melody had to hide the shock. How could he be saying all of this now? He must be trying to mees with her again.

"Really? Well… you have a funny way of showing it. But don't worry…It will pass." she said lifting the hood of one of the cars. Dally walked over to her and slammed the hood shut.

"No it won't! I miss you. I miss what we had." he said. Melody looked at him. For once, her expression was undreadable.

"We had nothing, you said so yourself!" she said coldly, lifting the hood up once again.

"Forget what I said." Dally said. Mel turned around to face him.

"That's what you told me last time! Remember, when you broke my heart? But it's all bullshit. You don't know what love is." she said. The two were so involved in their arguement, that they didn't realize the other three were now outside and watching everything from a safe distance away.

"Mel, I…" Dally said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You what? You love me? Well guess what …you don't love me Dallas, you never did you just love the idea of being with me. And your mood changes are giving me whiplash, so knock it off! First you wanna be with me. Then you break my heart and tell me it was all a lie. Now you're telling me you love me? Jesus Christ, Dal! That's not love. That's you needing to sort out what you want." She said. The guys winced at those words. Mel was pissed...and she sure as hell wasn't hiding it.

"Then I see you with whoever she was…" Mel said. Dally put his hand up in defence.

"I can explain that…" he said.

"I don't want to hear it! You had me…and you lost me. But I'm not gonna wait around for ever…I at least deserve that." Melody said.

"Kid, I l…" Dal stuttered.

"Save it." Melody said. She turned her attention back to the car for a moment before facing him again. "You know what? I honestly don't care if I ever see you again." she said. Dally sighed and turned away. It was then that the other three decided to make their presence known.

"Alright, well we better be going." Two-Bit said. He said goodbye to the others and raced off to join Dal. Steve went over to the gas pumps and Soda looked at his sister sadly before going inside. Before long, Mel and her brother swapped over. He came outside and worked on the cars while she went inside to do some paper work. After a few minutes she heard the radio on from Outside. The first couple of songs were fine, she even sang along. But one song finally got to her.

_I was all right for a while  
I could smile for a while  
But I saw you last night  
You held my hand so tight  
As you stopped to say, "Hello"  
Oh, you wished me well  
You couldn't tell _

"Soda, turn that shit off!" Mel yelled out. She tried to think of something else, and tune the music out. But nothing was working. And it was obvious that Soda couldn't hear her from out in the shop.

_  
That I'd been crying over you  
Crying over you  
When you said, "So long"  
Left me standing all alone  
Alone and crying, crying  
Crying, crying_

_  
It's hard to understand  
But the touch of your hand  
Can start me crying_

Mel sunk down against the desk as she couldn't stop the tears falling from her eyes. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself...she wasn't over him, at all. Damn that Dallas Winston! Son of a bitch.

_  
I thought that I was over you  
But it's true, so true  
I love you even more  
Than I did before  
But, darling, what can I do?  
For you don't love me  
And I'll always be crying over you  
Crying over you__es, now you're gone  
And, from this moment on  
I'll be crying, crying  
Crying, crying  
Yeah, crying, crying  
Over you_

Y

Soda came into the office looking for Mel. He couldn't find her anywhere. He was about to go and check outside when he looked by the desk and saw her.

"I thought I was over him." Mel cried. "But I'm still in love with that bastard." Soda got down onto the floor and held his twin in his arms.

"I love him so much Soda. I don't want to but I can't help it." Mel said, crying into his shoulder. "I tried to avoid him, but he's always gonna be around. I tried making him jealous but that just proved what a stubborn ass he is. I just...I can't help but still love that son of a bitch."

Soda pulled her closer to him and stroked her hair soothingly.

"I know, baby, I know."

"I don't know what to do, Soda." Mel said softly. "I never wanna see him again, but I know that's not possible."

"You can't avoid him forever, sweetie." Soda said.

"Shoot, don't I know it. But I'm sure as hell gonna try."

"You really think that'll work?" Sodapop asked skeptically.

"No, I know it won't. I doubt things can go back to the way they were."

"You never know." Soda said.

**A/N: Yay! Another update... lol. Let me know what you thought of it. In the next chapter, I'm probably going to do the day of the dance. REVIEW and let me know if that's what you want me to do or if I should wait another chapter. Also, I have a poll running on what story I should start next when I finish one or two of the ones I have now. Please VOTE and let me know **


	37. Getting Ready for the Dance

The nght of the dance had finally arrived. Ginny had picked Kathy up and they were now on their way over to the Curtis house to help Kathy and Melody get ready.

"So, how's things with Darry?" Kathy asked her friend.

"Things are going great." Ginny smiled. "Although we haven't been able to go out much. But I don't mind" she said. Kathy nodded her head in understanding. Before too long they arrived at the house. Ponyboy and Johnny were sitting out on the porch smoking when they arrived.

"Hey Boys." Kathy smiled as she and Ginny got out of the car. Kathy grabbed a dressbag from the back seat and carried it over her shoulder. The boys said hello and the girls went inside. Like most days, Soda and Steve were sitting playing poker and Two-Bit was sitting in the arm chair. Darry came out of the kitchen and kissed Ginny, earning a few whistles from the guys.

"Hey knock it off will, you?" Melody said, coming out of her room.

"Well, what do you expect? It took them this long to get together." Two-Bit said. Everyone had a good laugh about it before the girls took Mel back into her room. She sat on her bed while Ginny and Kathy fussed about with make-up and hair stuff.

"God, sometimes I'm glad I grew up around guys." Melody said, eyeing all the make-up that the girls brought with them. Kathy shrugged.

"Oh come on Mel. It's a special night. Have a little fun, get dressed up and everything." she said. Melody sighed.

"Alright...let the torture begin." she said. Kathy started grabbing different shades of lipstick, trying to find the perfect one to match her dress. Ginny had pulled her hair out of it's braids and was thinking about what to do with it.

"You have such beautiful hair, Mel." Ginny said. Melody smiled.

"Well, I am Soda's twin." she joked, making the others laugh. "But seriously, I think it's a little long."

"It's still beautiful." Kathy said, testing the eyeshadow on her wrist. After They had finished Melody, it was Kathy's turn to get ready. She slipped into her dress and sat down as Melody and Ginny got to work.

"Ouch! Mel!" she said, after she was stabbed in the eye with the brush. Melody laughed.

"Oh, get over it. I didn't complain when you got me." she said. Kathy sighed and stopped complaining after that.

The guys were waiting pariently in the living room while the girls were getting ready. After a little while, they heard the bedroom door open, and they all turned towards it expectantly. Ginny and Kathy walked out smiling.

"Damn, my girl is gorgeous." Two-Bit said, looking at Kathy. She smiled and spun around.

"Aww, thanks babe...but wait until you see Melody." she said. Ginny smiled and knocked on the door.

"Honey, you coming out?" she asked.

"Do I have to?" Mel's voice said from behind the door.

"Yes you have to. Now get your ass out here!" Steve said.

"Ok, fine. I'm coming out…don't laugh at me." said Mel. She took a deep breath before going out to the living room. All three of them laughed when they saw five mouths drop open. She looked stunning in her dress. Her hair was curled with half up, falling around her shoulders. **(A/N: Hard to explain, picture's in profile, along with all three of the girls' dresses.)**

"Double damn. Both my girls are gorgeous." Two-Bit said. Melody smiled.

"You really think so?" she asked. Darry nodded

"Absolutely, honey. You look beautiful." he said. Soda and Ponyboy who, at a loss for words, nodded their heads in agreement. Kathy went and sat on the arm of the chair that Two-Bit was lounging in and Ginny walked over to Darry. The eldest Curtis wrapped his arms around his girlfriend's waist and kissed her cheek.

"Nice job." He said. Ginny smiled.

"Thanks."

"I need someone to help zip me up." Mel said, turning around and pointing to her back. Soda jumped up and walked over to his sister, helping her with the zip. When he was done, he smiled, taking her hand and spun her around. It was only then she realized that Two-Bit wasn't dressed, well not for the dance anyway.

"Two-Bit, why aren't you ready?" Mel asked. Two-Bit grinned sheepishly.

"There's been a change of plans, babe." he said, looking up at Kathy. "I'm not going to the dance."

"What? Come on man, you promised me. What am I gonna do now, I don't have a date." sighed Mel.

"That's not true." he said, nodding towards the door. There in the doorway, stood Dally, all dressed up. He was wearing his jacket with a white muscle shirt and jeans.

"Jesus Christ, Two-Bit." Mel said. She turned around to go back to her room when he spoke.

"Kid..." he started, but Mel wouldn't let him finish.

"I have nothing to say to you." Mel said angrily, turning to go back to her room.

"Mel, you gotta listen to me." said Dal.

"I don't gotta do anything!" said Mel. "I listened to you when you said all those hurtful things, when you left me, without telling me why." she said.

"I had a reason." said Dallas.

"I'm glad you had a reason for breaking my heart Dallas. I'm just thankful that I found out the truth before I let myself fall in love with you more than I already had." Mel said coldly. "Although I find it funny that you are here contradicting yourself. Asking me to go to the dance with you after what you said."

Dally sighed and ran his hand through his hair nervously...and Dallas Winston doesn't get nervous. He understood that he was treading a very fine line here, putting everything out like this...but he didn't have a choice.

"I never deserved you Mel. Not as a girlfriend or even a best friend. Someone like me should never deserve someone like you. Somehow you didn't see that." said Dallas.

"Someone like me?" Melody questioned.

"Yeah, someone as amazing as you." said Dally. "I thought that if we weren't together, you would have a chance to do something better with your life. Better than anything I could ever give you. I never meant to hurt you Mel."

"Right, so that's why you were with that other broad not even a week after we broke up. I'm sure it was completely innocent." said Melody.

"What you saw was me and Cassie, a friend of Angela's. She was…teaching me how to dance," mumbled Dal. Melody looked up at him, completely shocked.

"What?" she asked. Dallas sighed and ran his hand through his hair again.

"I know how much you love to dance. And you wanted to go to this dance so much. I actually felt bad that I couldn't take you, so I asked Cassie to help me learn…so I could surprise you." Dal admitted. Melody couldn't believe it.

"It's true Mel." said Johnny. She knew that Johnnycakes would never lie to her. She looked around the room and saw that everyone was nodding in agreement. Dallas was telling the truth.

"You…you went to all that trouble…just for me?" she asked quietly. Her voice filled with disbelief. Dally chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, of course I did that for you, Kid... I love you." he said. Melody looked at him. Those were the three words that she had waited so long to hear him say. Her heart wanted so badly to believe what he was saying; she wanted to run into his arms right then and there. But her head was telling her not to be so foolish. He hurt her and she probably wasn't strong enough to go through that all again.

Dallas could tell that she was debating whether to believe him, he had to tell her. His reputation was drastically on the line…but he honestly didn't care.

"You don't believe me? Well I'll say it again." He said, getting up on to the coffee table.

"I love you Melody Curtis, I have for a very long time and I know that will never change. I know that I would have to be crazy as hell to think that you'd want me back after everything I've done, If I were you, I wouldnt. I know that I don't deserve it. But I just had to tell you that." he said.

"Dally, get off the damn table." Darry sighed. Dal jumped off and turned around and started towards the door.

Mel looked to the floor, then to her brothers and Ginny. There was a look in Darry's eye telling her to race to the door and stop him before he left. She looked at Soda. He mouthed 'Go!' to her. Mel smiled to herself. To hell with her head.

"You are such a stubborn ass, Winston." she said. Dally turned around and saw that Mel was almost crying. She followed her heart and ran into his arms. Dal grinned, he finally had his girl back. He picked her up off the ground and kissed her with all the passion he felt for her. And that was a lot.

"I'm so sorry." she whispered in his ear.

"It's ok, I am too." he said. Melody sighed contently and rested her forehead against his.

"I love you." Dallas said, grinning.

"I love you too." Mel replied, matching his grin.

"Ok, we get it. You love her, she loves you…and you all love me." said Two-Bit. Everyone laughed and rolled their eyes. Good old Two-Bit.

"But you both have a dance to go to, so get the hell outta here." he laughed. The two smiled and started making their way outside. They had only just reached the gate when Soda called out to them.

"Hey guys," he called out, the family camera in his hands. "How about a picture?"

Dal rolled his eyes but grinned and wrapped his arms around Melody's waist. The two smiled, both genuine, something the gang hadn't seen in a long while. Soda smiled and took the picture. When he was finished he waved the couple off.

"Ok, now get going!" he said beaming. With one last wave to the guys, Mel and Dal got into Buck's T-Bird.

"Curtis, I don't think I've ever seen you in a dress…or anything pink. You look pretty damn good." said Dally, with a wink.

"Hold up, Winston, you're still not totally forgiven just yet." Mel said. Dal looked at her confused.

"We better have one hell of a night." she laughed. Dal grinned and pulled something out of the pocket of his jacket.

"I think this belongs to you." he said, holding up his ring. Mel smiled at him as he put it back where it belonged. On a chain around her neck…close to her heart. Then he started the car and beeped the horn as they raced down the street.

The others watched the happy couple drive down the street. Finally everything was how it was supposed to be. And about time too, everyone was getting pretty tired of the two being so stubborn and ignoring each other. They all sat in the living room for a few minutes before Steve spoke up.

"So…are we just gonna sit around here, or are we going to this dance?" he wondered.

"Hell yeah!" Two-Bit said, jumping out of his chair. They all went and started getting ready, leaving Darry and Ginny in the living room.

"So…you wanna go to the dance with me?" he asked. Ginny smiled.

"Why Mr. Curtis…are you asking me on a date?" she wondered. Darry laughed.

"That I am, Miss Phelps." He said.

"You think you could drive me home to pick up my dress?" she asked. Darry smiled and nodded.

"Guys, we'll meet you there!" he called out. He grabbed his keys and they made their way out to the truck.

**A/N: Yay! So glad I got to post this now. I was gonna wait a little while...but I honestly couldn't wait. Now, I know I keep saying this, but I honestly am stuck for ideas for the dance. So please please please REVIEW and hep me with some ideas... and make the characters happy.**

**Two-Bit: Yeah, make us happy!**

**Me: Where the hell did you come from?**

**Two-Bit: Well, When a mommy and a daddy love each other very much...**

**Me: TWO-BIT!!! I mean what are you doing here now?**

**Two-Bit: Ohhh.... I wanna know what happens next!**

**Me: Well....that's upto the readers.**

**Two-Bit: Come on people! You know what to do... press that little review button. By the way, how come Dal got to jump on the coffee table and I didn't?**

**Me: Because he had to confess his love for Melody. And what are you complaining about? You've done so much crazy stuff so far, including wearing her shoes.**

**Two-Bit: True...they were sooooo comfy!**

**Me: -hits head on wall- Oh god...**

**Two-Bit: Hey...got any chocolate cake around here?**

**Me: -rolls eyes- Check the fridge...anyways, hope to hear from you all soon :)**


	38. The Wonder of You

**A/N: Hi everyone. Thank-you for all the reviews I've got so far. I know a few of you weren't happy with Mel and Dal getting back together, but I just had to do it. Some said they you wanted them to get into a fight and such, don't worry. It is Melody and Dallas after all...so you can expect plenty of fights. Also, Sorry it took me so long to update, but I'm in the middle of moving house and school and on top of all that...I had to fall down the stairs at school on Wednesday and brake my leg (which has given me an idea XD). So I've been a little preoccupied. Ok, so on with the chapter.**

"Alright, ladies...are we ready for some fun?" Kathy said, laughing at her own joke. Soda rolled his eyes as he pulled up out the front of the school.

"Honestly Kath," Steve said, getting out of the passenger seat. "You're becoming more and more like Two-Bit everyday."

"And that's a bad thing because?" Two-Bit wondered, helping his girlfriend out of the car.

"Because one of you is bad enough as it is." Steve said. Two-Bit sent Steve a rude gesture before the four made their way over to the gym. Ponyboy and Johnny had decided to skip the dance that night, and instead opted to stay home and chill out, perhaps go and see a movie. As they walked, Soda spotted the old T-Bird and Darry's truck parked a bit furter down.

"Hey, even Superdope got here before us." Steve said, eyeing the truck.

"Well, if you both," Kathy said, indicating to Steve and Soda. "weren't so focused on your hair, we could have been here earlier." she said. The guys rolled their eyes as they made their way to the gym. Darry and Ginny were out the front waiting when they arrived.

"Wow, Ginny. You look gorgeous." Kathy said. Ginny smiled and did a little twirl, showing off her dress.

"Thanks. It's amazing what you can do with a simple dress pattern" she smiled proudly. Kathy smiled and nodded her head before turning to Darry.

"And you don't scrub up too badly either, Dar." she laughed. Darry grinned.

"Come on, let's get inside." he said. The gym had been decorated especially for the evening by a group consisting of only socs and middle class students. Although, none of the Greasers seemed to mind. They scanned the room and finally spotted Dally and Mel but the drinks stand. Two-Bit let out a whistle letting them know they were there. As soon as they heard it, the couple turned around and spotted the rest of their gang.

"What are you guys doing here?" Dally wondered as he amd Mel made their way over to them.

"Since when have you known us to shy away from a party?" Soda wondered. Mel rolled her eyes and nodded.

"I should have known." she said. "Although, I am surprised to see Darry here." she laughed.

"Alright I get it, I don't get out enough." he said.

"Or at all." Two-Bit mumbled under his breath. Unfortunately for him, Darry heard him and slapped the back of his head.

"Hey!" Two-Bit said, rubbing the back of his head. The others couldn't help but laugh.

"Come on, let's have some fun." Ginny said. Two-Bit, who had now finally stopped complaining about his head, turned to Kathy and bowed like a, dare I say it, gentleman.

"May I have this dance, Milady?" he asked, offering her his hand. Kathy laughed and took his hand. They started walking over to the dancefloor when Melody called out to them.

"Hey Two-Bit?" she caleld out. Two-Bit spun around to face his best friend.

"What?"

"Don't even think about spiking that drink table over there." she said, pointing to the table where she and Dally were before. Two-Bit's expression morphed into one of sheer horror.

"Me?! Never!" he said. But the look on Melody's stopped him from going any further. "Alright fine." he sulked. Melody laughed and shook her head. After a while, Soda and Steve met up with their girls and danced for a little while before coming back to the group. Melody turned to Dally.

"So," she started. Dally raised his eyebrow at her questioningly.

"So what?" he asked. Melody rolled her eyes, as she often did.

"So, are you going to show me what you learnt?" she wondered. Finally Dally caught on to what she was talking about and took her hand, leading her to the dancefloor. The others gathered around ready to watch the show.

"Where's the popcorn when you need it?" Steve wondered, earing a slap in the head from Darry. When they were out on the dancefloor, Dally pulled her close to him.

_When no one else  
Can understand me  
When everything  
I do is wrong  
You give me love  
And consolation  
You give me hope  
To carry on_

_And you try to show  
Your love for me  
In everything you do  
That's the wonder  
The wonder of you_

"Well, I guess this song kinda fits." Dally said. Melody smiled. She knew he was trying to tell her how much she meant to him, in his own kinda way. She smiled and shook her head.

"What?" he asked.

"Don't let the guys hear you talking like that. They'll think you've gone soft or something." Mel laughed.

"Shut up." Dally laughed, spinning her around. Melody laughed as he pulled her close to him once.

"That's my man." she said. She rested her head in the crook of his neck as they continued to dance.

_And when you smile  
The world is brighter  
You touch my hand  
And I'm a king  
Your kiss to me  
Is worth a fortune  
Your love to me  
Is everything_

_  
And you're always there  
To lend a hand  
In all I try to do  
That's the wonder  
The wonder of you  
_

"Wow, I guess Dally really can dance." Soda said. Two-Bit smiled and bowed.

"Am I great or am I great." he said, taking full credit for the idea.

"Never thought I'd see the day...Two-Bit had a great idea." Darry said. Two-Bit was about to come out with some smartass remark but Kathy stopped him, and they all continued to watch the couple on the dancefloor.

_I guess I'll never know  
The reason why  
You love me as you do  
That's the wonder  
The wonder of you_

By the end of the song, Dally spun Mel out again before pulling her back and dipping her as the music began to change. Mel smiled and looked into his eyes, completely ignoring the sudden rush of blood to her head. After a moment, Dally helped her up and kissed her, right there in the middle of the dancefloor, earning them a loud cheer from their friends.

"Thanks for the dance." he smirked. Melody, who was still in a state of total amazement, simple nodded. Dally laughed and took her hand, escorting her back to their friends. Upon their arrival, they were met with cheers and whistles, as well as a few comments from Steve and Two-Bit. Although, their celebrations were halted after a cruel voice was heard.

"It's amazing what kind of trash they let into these things." the voice said. Melody felt Dal tense up instantly as she realized who it was. They all turned around and found Andrew Greene standing there, surrounded by a group of his soc friends. Dally instinctivly tightened his grip on Melody's waist. The others stepped protectively in front, shielding the girls.

"You better back off, Greene." Steve warned.

"You shut up greaser!" one of his friends said. His date was looking on helpless, unlike most of the soc girls they had some across before. She ran a hand through her red hair as she watched on.

"Look," Darry said, trying to take control of the situation. "We don't want any trouble. We just wanna have a good time, just like you."

"Come on, Bob." the redhead said. She pulled his by the arm, trying to pull him away, but he tore away from her grip.

"We have as much right to be here as you have." Kathy said. The Socs laughed at her.

"Nobody asked for your thoughts, you little slut." another of Greene's followers spat coldly. Kathy flinched a little at his words... and Two-Bit got angry.

"Don't you dare talk to her like that!" he said, taking a threatening step towards them.

"Is there a problem here, gentlemen?" Hallon wondered, walking over to the group. Both Dally and Greene were still glaring at each other. Melody walked up and took Dally's hand, pulling his back a little.

"No sir. No problem here." she said. Hallon looked over at Dal expectantly. Dally shook his head stiffly. Hallon then turned to Greene.

"Mr. Greene?" he asked. Greene smirked obnoxiously.

"No sir." he said. Hallon nodded his head and walked away. Greene looked at Dal once more before slinging his arm around his date's shoulders and walked away. His friends followed soon after. Melody sighed and pulled Dally away from the group.

"Come on. Dance with me." she said, pulling him away.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Aside from the little run in with Greene, the gang had a great time...even Darry. They all were shared around the group, dancing with one another. Two-Bit even convinced Melody to let him 'jazz up the drinks', as he called it. By the end of the night, everyone was exhausted. Soda and Steve took Sandy and Evie home in the twin's car. Darry convinced Ginny to stay the night, although she had to run home and grab some things and check on her grandmother and Tommy, so Kathy and Two-Bit got a lift back to the Curtis house with Dally and Mel.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"So, did you have a good night, or was it as terrible as you thought?" Melody asked Dal. She had given up her room to Ginny and Kathy and offered to share the loungeroom with Dally and Two-Bit. Johnny and Ponyboy had Soda and Pony's room and Soda and Steve dropped on the floor. Dal rolled his eyes and pulled her down onto his lap.

"I guess it wasn't that bad." he said. Mel smiled and kissed him before settling down and falling asleep in his arms on the couch.


	39. Hot Summer Days

**A/N: Hey all. Wow, two updates in one week! You guys should feel very lucky. Alright, I'm not updating again for a little while...or if I get lots of reviews... so come on guys! **

**Just a heads up, I kinda ran out of ideas so this is basically just a filler chapter, just for fun. I had all these ideas to put into the story before the second part of the main plot began, so I squished a few of them in here. I hope you all enjoy it.**

It was a hot day in Tulsa, one of the hottest that year and nobody could be bothered doing anything. Darry and Soda had the day off work, and the others had the day off school, because of the heat. At the moment, the three Curtis boys were the only ones home. Darry made sure that they closed all the curtains and everything to make sure that they kept the heat out of the house.

So the three of them were all sitting in the living room, shirtless, and none of them could be bothered moving. Darry was sitting in his chair, as usual. Soda and Ponyboy were lying with their backs resting against the couch. All of a sudden they could hear shouting.

"God, Johnny's folks at it again?" asked Soda, lifting his head up wearily. Ponyboy sighed as he managed to unstick himself from the floor and looked out the window.

"Nope…more like his older brother and sister." He said, peering through the curtain. Sodapop pried himself off the floor and looked out the window, careful not to let much of the light in. Sure enough, Dal and Melody were arguing their way up towards the house. Even the heat couldn't stop those two from arguing. They could see that they were obviously boiling out there. Dally was, like the rest of the guys, shirtless and throwing his arms around in the air, trying to emphisize his point to Melody...whatever his point might be. Melody on the other hand, had on her denim shorts and blue singlet top, and boy did she look angry.

"I honestly cant believe you Dallas!" Mel said kicking the gate open. She didn't bother to wait for him to get inside, she just shut it as quickly as she could.

"What did you expect me to do?" Dally asked, marching up the path and stopping in front of her.

"I expected you to actually use your head for once…or is that impossible?" Mel asked, giving him a slight shove. Dally's eyes grew darker.

"Impossible, huh?" Dally wondered.

"Yeah, impossible." Melody said.

"And what about you, huh? I'm sure you're always thinkin' ahead." Dally said.

"What do you suppose they're fighing about?" Steve wondered. Both Ponyboy and Soda jumped from their spots at the sudden apperance of Steve, even Darry was startled.

"Since when have you been here?" Soda wondered.

"And how'd you get in?" Darry wondered. Steve shrugged.

"A few minutes and through the backdoor." he said. The brothers nodded and returned to watching the fight.

"So what are they fighting about?" Steve repeated.

"This time?" Ponyboy said. "Who knows?" Back outside, Melody was trying to get past Dally.

"Get out of my way!" she demanded. When Dally didn't move, she shoved past him and stormed her way up the stairs. The three at the window suddenly jumped back in fear of getting caught and fell back onto the floor. Melody reached out for the doorknob but Dal grabbed her wrist and spun her around, pulling her into a kiss. It was if all her anger had left her in that one moment, as Melody's arms wrapped themselves around Dally's neck.

"Glory, I really cant believe those two!" Two-Bit said, pointing towards the front door as he walked into the house. "One minute they're at each others throats and wanna kill one another and the next they cant keep their hands off each other!" he said. "I had to slide past them just to get to the door."

"Hey, shut the door will ya? You're letting the heat in!" Darry said from his chair. Two-Bit kicked the door shut with his foot. They all doubted that the couple out the front had even noticed.

"They don't agree on much do they?" Two-Bit asked, to nobody in particular. Ponyboy nodded

"In fact...they rarely agree on anything. They're too busy fightin' all the time." The youngest Curtis laughed.

"Yeah well that's Mel and Dal for you." Darry said. "But despite their differences, they have one important thing in common."

"What's that?" Steve wondered.

"They're crazy about each other." Soda smiled. Darry laughed in agreement

"Both as stubborn as anything but they love each other all the same." he said.

Just then Dal and Mel came inside with their arms around each other and smiles on their faces. It was if the whole fight never really happened. They saw the others looking at them.

"What?" they asked. The others just smiled knowingly and shook their heads.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Who knew it would be so hot today?" asked Steve, fanning himself with one of the twins' auto magazines.

"Who knew it would be so boring here?" asked Soda, lying on the floor next to Melody. The weather was still boiling, and the gang were running out of things to do. Johnny had arrived a little while before and was sitting quietly on the couch with Ponyboy. They had tried playing cards, watching television, even a water fight out in the yard. But as soon as they stopped, they instantly felt hot again.

"This isn't what I expected for this kind of year." Two-Bit said. "I mean, christmas is a couple of months away...isn't there meant to be snow instead of blistering heat?"

"I'll tell ya, I wish we could have some snow right about now." Ponyboy said. Melody nodded her head in agreement. A few moments passed when suddenly , Mel had an idea.

"Hey Darry, isn't there a creek nearby?" she asked. The eldest brother thought for a minute, before his face lit up a little.

"Yeah, come to think of it…I think there is." he said.

"Well then what are we still doing here?" asked Two-Bit. As soon as he said that, everyone was practically out the door. None of them bothered to get their bathing suits, seeing as how seven out of eight of them were guys and were already shirtless. Melody considered getting into her suit, but decided against it, seeing as how it would be just as fun swimming in her clothes. Once everyone was outside, they piled into the truck and went down to the creek.

Steve, Soda and Two-Bit were the first in. They jumped out of the back of the truck as soon as the engine was turned off. Mel rolled her eyes and got out of the car she pulled her sneakers off and tied her hair up into a ponytail. Two-Bit laughed whistled at her from his spot in the creek.

"Always wanting what you cant have, hey Two-Bit?" she joked. Suddenly, she was lifted off her feet. She looked down and was met with the infamous grin of Dallas Winston.

"Dallas I swear to God, put me down." she said threateningly.

"Why would I wanna do that?" he asked, acting completely innocent.

"Dal I mean it. Put me down now!" she said. Dal shrugged his shoulders.

"You're the boss." he said and threw her into the water. As soon as she reached the surface, Mel could hear some of the guys laughing. She turned around and glared angrily at her boyfriend.

"Aw come on babe, I'm sorry. look, I'll help you up." Dal said, bending over and reaching out his hand for Mel. He failed to see Darry behind him, so he got quite a shock when he was pushed into the water. Everyone laughed and Darry jumped into the water, closely followed by Ponyboy and Johnny.

"Was this a great idea, or was this a great idea?" Mel wondered, floating peacefully on her back. Although, when you're in a gang with seven other guys, the peace doesn't really last.

"Hey! We should have a battle!" Soda said.

"What kind of battle?" Steve wondered, his competitive streak was starting to show.

"Well, we could split into two teams. One person has to sit on the others shoulders and try and knock the other off." Soda said.

"You thought of that just then, Sodiepop?" Mel wondered. Soda smiled proudly and nodded.

"Alright, uhh..Dal, lemme get on your shoulders." Two-Bit said. Dally looked at him as if he was crazy.

"I'm not letting you get your fat ass on my shoulders." he said. Two-Bit pouted.

"My ass is not fat!!!" he insisted, earning a laugh from everyone. After a few rounds of battling each other, they decided to have a go of the rope that was hanging from a tree by the waters edge. Steve grabbed a hold of the rope and stood proudly.

"Who do you think you are, Stevie...Tarzan or something?" Mel called out. Steve simple ignored her and jumped off the rope, landing in the water with a huge splash.

"Man! That was awesome!" he said...which of course, made everyone want to have a go.

So they all had a great day, and managed to cool off. It was about sundown when they decided to leave. Once again, they all piled into the truck, with Darry, Pony and Johnny in the front, and Mel, Steve, Two-Bit, Dally and Soda in the back.

"Hey, Mel?" Steve asked. Mel was sitting in the back of the truck with her head rested on Dally's chest. She looked up at Steve.

"Yeah?"

"Truth or Dare?" he asked. Melody rolled her eyes.

"Why is it always me? Aren't you sick of asking me those?" she wondered.

"Not at all...now answer the damn question." Steve said. Melody sighed.

"Alright...dare. Although I'm instantly going to regret it." she said, settling back down on Dal's chest. Steve smiled as he finally came up with a dare.

"I dare you to get a tattoo." he said. Melody's head instantly snapped up as she looked at her friend.

"What?!" she asked incredulously. Steve grinned. Soda shook his head in amazement.

"You never cease to amaze me with the stupid stuff you come up with." he said. "Besides, Darry will never let her."

"Hey Darry?!" Two-Bit shouted out.

"What?!" they heard Darry reply.

"Would you let Melody get a tattoo?" Two-Bit called out.

"What?" Darry asked again. "Why would Melody want to get a tattoo?"

"Steve dared her." Two-Bit aid simply. They listened carefully, waiting for his answer. They could hear him sigh.

"It's her body. I guess she can do what she wants." he said. The others couldn't believe what he had said. They were convinced that he was gonna say a flat-out 'no'.

"Well, that settles it." Steve said, turning to Melody again. "So, are you gonna do it?"

"Sure, why not." Melody said.

"Well, how about I get one too?" Dally suggested. Melody looked up at him.

"You'd do that?" she asked. Dally smiled and nodded.

"Aw hell, I'll get one too." Two-Bit said.

"You just don't want to be left out, do you?" Soda wondered. Two-Bit shrugged his shoulders.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The guys were waiting patiently for Mel, Two-Bit and Dally to come out of the bathroom. It had been a few weeks since they all got their tatoos and they were now waiting for the great 'unveiling'. They were impressed that they all actually went through with it, and were even more surprised when Melody revealed that she got two. They were all sitting in the living room when they finally came out.

"What took you so long?" Steve wondered. "First you make us wait all this time and then you spend even longer in the bathroom."

"We wanted to make sure they're ok." Melody said.

"Alright, enough talking...let's see them." said Soda. Two-Bit vollunteered to go first. He held out his arm and pulled off the bandaging to reveal a picture of Mickey Mouse on his right shoulder.

"Typical." laughed Ponyboy. Dal was next up. He rolled up his sleeve to reveal a single word...

'Melody'.

"You got Mel's name?" Darry wondered. Dally grinned and nodded.

"You do know that those are forever right? There's no turning back if you guys break-up?" Steve warned.

"Who cares? They break-up every week." Two-Bit laughed.

"Alright kiddo, it's your turn." Soda said to his twin. Melody sighed and rolled up her sleeve, showing off the first bandage on her shoulder.

"Well, I really couldn't decide what to get. In the end it was either all of our initials or this one, but then I remembered that Daddy had engraved them on the guitar. So I ended up with these ." She said. She pulled the bandage off and showed Dally's name on her shoulder.

"What about the other one?" Johnny wondered, pointing to the bandage on her wrist. Melody looked down at her wrist and started to unravel the bandage. Soon it was uncovered to reveal a single word;

'Outsider'

"Why Outsider?" asked Soda. Melody shrugged.

"Sometimes I feel like the outsider of the gang, being the only girl, you know?" She said.

"I guess…but if you think about it, we're all outsiders in a way." said Ponyboy.


	40. Halloween and Hospitals

**A/N: Hey All! I know I said I wasn't going to post for a little while...but I keep coming up with more ideas so I thought I would post this one. This chapter and the next one coming up were actually one very long chapter, but i decided that it would be best if i make them into two, then the story will last a little longer.**

**Gosh there's not much to do when you're stuck at home with a broken leg, so I'm updating all my stories. This chapter was based on what I actually did to my leg. I fell down some of the stairs at my school and fractured my leg, so im sitting here in a cast and what not. I'm not sure what was more painful, the brake itself...or my mum ramming me into walls and vending machines in the wheelchair i was in. Oh well. Enjoy this chapter. **

**Disclaimer: Ok, so thing's haven't changed much since I last put one of these. I don't own any of the Outsiders characters, except (im not giving you a full list, just those in this chapter) Melody, Ginny and Tommy. Please REVIEW and let me know what you think.**

October 31st, 1965. It was Halloween, and it had been a pretty slow day at the DX for Steve and the twins. It was now about four o'clock and after they finished up work, a group of them were going to take Ginny's little brother, Tommy, trick-or-treating around the neighbourhood.

"Melody?!" Steve called out from the office doorway. Mel groaned in annoyance and slid out from underneath the car.

"What?" she called out, grabbing a rag to rub the grease off her arms.

"Telephone." Steve replied. "It's Ginny, she says it's important." Mel got up off the ground and raced over to the door. She pushed passed Steve and made her way over to the phone.

"Ginny?"

_'Hey Honey.'_

"What's wrong?"

"_Do you think that you and Soda could finish work a little earlier today? I need you both to come down to the hospital._"

"The hospital? Why, what happened?"

_It's Darry._

As soon as Mel heard that, she muttered a quick response before slamming the phone down and running outside to get Soda. She managed to find him outside talking to a group of girls.

"Soda, we gotta go." Mel said. One of the girls looked her up and down and gave her an evil look.

"What are you, his girlfriend?" she asked. Melody rolled her eyes. How thick could some of these girls get? She was probably one of the only ones that couldn't tell the similarities between Soda and herself.

"No, I'm his sister." Mel said sharply, before turning to her brother. "We have to go." she repeated.

"Why?" Soda wondered.

"Ginny called...Darry's in the hospital." she said, running back into the office. Soda's eyes widened.

"Bye ladies." he said, chasing after his sister. The twins and Steve packed up their things before racing to the hospital. They weren't sure how, but somehow in the end, Soda ended up driving, so they got there quicker than expected...and without being picked up by the cops. They raced into the hospital and finally found Ginny, sitting with Tommy and Ponyboy.

"Hey. What happened?" Mel asked.

"Darry broke his leg." Tommy said. The twins looked at him in surprise then to Ginny.

"Well, he fractured it." she clarified.

"What's the difference?" Steve wondered.

"A brake would take months to heal...this should only take a few weeks." Ginny said, making Steve nod his head in understanding, although Mel was convinced he had no clue about what she said.

"He's gonna have to be in a cast for a few weeks." Ponyboy added.

"Oh god...he's gonna drive us all mad." Mel said, making the others laugh. At that moment, Two-Bit came in.

"Hey, I saw your car parked here...what's up?" he wondered. The others looked at him in disbelief.

"What were you doing around here any...actually, I don't wanna know." Mel said. Ginny then retold the story to help Two-Bit get upto speed with what was happening.

"He's in the room over there if you two wanna go see him. I saw him before with Ginny." Ponyboy said. The twins nodded and headed into their brother's room. When they got there, they couldn't help but crack a smile. Here was Darry, lying on the hospital bed, with a cast on his leg.

"Glad to see my pain can be used for your amusement." he said.

"Sorry." Soda said. "All jokes aside...are you alright?"

"Well, I can honestly say I've been better." he said. Mel rolled her eyes.

"Obviously." she said. Darry gave her an annoyed look. "You're just doing this to get out of trick-or-treating tonight, aren't you?"

"Yes, Melody. I purposely fell down some stairs and broke my leg..."

"Fractured." Both Soda and Mel corrected. Darry rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, just to get out of going with a group of teenagers, to take my girlfriend's brother trick-or-treating." he said.

"Well, when you put it that way..." Mel started.

"Seriously though," Darry started. "You all need to watch the house while I'm like this."

The twins nodded and listened as their brother ranted about what should happen while he was 'unable to run a house' as he put it. After a couple of hours, with Darry getting checked out by a number of different doctors, having to fill out paperwork and getting everything he needed, the Doctor said that he could be taken home. They got him a wheelchair and wheeled him out to where everyone was waiting.

"Nice wheels, Dar." Two-Bit joked. "Can I give them a spin?"

"Not a chance." Darry said seriously. Two-Bit pouted, making the others laugh. Melody smiled then turned to Tommy.

"Come on Kiddo. We gotta head back and start getting you ready." She smiled. Tommy's face lit up and he jumped up from his seat.

"Why don't you go with Mel now and start getting ready?" Ginny suggested. "I've gotta help get Darry home."

Melody smiled and took the young boy's hand as they left the hospital. Two-Bit and Steve went with them, while Soda and Ponyboy helped Ginny with Darry.

"So, have you got everything you need for your costume?" Two-Bit wondered. Tommy smiled and nodded, holding up is backpack.

"Yeah, I packed everything that I needed last night so I would be ready when Ginny brought me over this afternoon." he said. When they arrived home, they found Dally sitting on the steps.

"How long have you been here?" Mel wondered as she shut the car door. Two-Bit and Tommy had raced to see who could get to the front door first. Luckily, Dally jumped up just in time before he would be tackled to the ground.

"Hi Dal!" Tommy and Two-Bit said as they ran up the steps. Dal looked questioningly at Melody, who simply shook her head and made her way over to him.

"What's with them?" he asked her. Melody shrugged.

"One's ten and the other acts like it. Have you been here long?" She asked.

"Ten minutes maybe. Where is everyone?" Dal wondered as he and Mel walked inside.

"Darry broke his leg, so everyone else is helping Ginny with him and I'm about to go get a ten year old ready in his halloween costume for trick-or-treating tonight, which by the way...you're coming with us." Mel said.

"Why do I have to go?" Dal wondered.

"Come on, dal, you used to come trick-or-treating us all the time." Mel said. "And because I said so."

"Good point." Dal said. Steve laughed and mumbled something about being a kissass, but Dally just punched him in the arm. Tommy came out of the bedroom all dressed in his costume. He was dressed as a pirate. He had a pair of shorts that Ginny had cut up, an old, torn shirt and a vest.

"Lookin' good, kiddo." Mel smiled. She walked into her room and searched around untill she found a thin scarf and wrapped it around Tommy's waist acting as a sash.

"Alright, now what about some battle scars?" She asked.

"Yeah!" Tommy said. Mel laughed and grabbed a few items of make-up and took Tommy into the kitchen. Dal leaned in the doorway, curious as to what she was going to do.

"What's eyeshadow and all that stuff gonna do?" he wondered. Melody just smiled and grabbed some of her eyeshadow and started putting it on Tommy's face. Then she grabbed her eyeliner, and drew what looked like scars down his cheeks. It was then that Dal saw what she was doing. **(A/N: I actually did this for Halloween one year to my friend, James. I used green and purple eyeshadow and made him look like a zombie)**

"Alright, go have a look and see what you think." she said. Tommy jumped up from his seat and raced to the bathroom.

"Cool!" he exclaimed, making Mel and Dally laugh.

"Hey, Two-Bit, can you show me how to make those hats out of paper?" Tommy wondered. Two-Bit smiled and showed the young boy what to do.

"Are you guys gonna dress up too?" Tommy wondered.

"Of course!" Two-Bit said, as he ran down the hallway.

They all heard a car pull up outside and, after a few minutes, the door opened, and Darry hobbled in on crutches. Ginny and Sodapop were by his sides and Ponyboy was a little behind them, pulling an empty wheelchair up the porch steps.

"Hey guys." Ginny said. The others said hello as they watched them help Darry into his room and get him settled into bed. They made sure he was comfortable and had enough pillows, and made sure that his leg was elevated. The others then came in.

"Well, that was smart of you to fall, Darryl, wasn't it?" Dally laughed.

"Shut up Dally." Darry said. Two-Bit then returned with a red sheet tied around his neck and another white one in his hand.

"Guess who I am?" He said, striking a pose. The others pretended to think about it.

"Superdork?" Steve suggested.

"No." Two-Bit said, sticking his tongue out at Steve. "But I've got the perfect costume for you, Stevie." He unfolded the shite sheet and threw it over Steve's head, covering him from head to toe.

"There. Now you can be a ghost...and nobody will have to see your ugly face...even that's too scary for Halloween." Two-Bit said.

"Why you son of a..." Steve said.

"Hey! There are children in the room." Melody said. Steve stopped and took the sheet off. He glanced at Two-Bit, who realized what was happening and started running.

"Hey! Don't break anything!" Darry called out from his room.

"Alright, you lot better get going." Ginny said. "Tommy be good, and listen to them....except for Two-Bit." Ginny said.

"Hey!"

"...and don't be too late coming back." Ginny finished, completely ignoring the outcry from Two-Bit. After saying goodbye, Tommy, Melody, Dally, Steve, Soda and Two-Bit left the house.


	41. Practise makes Perfect

**A/N: Hey all. I hope you enjoyed the last chapter, it was really fun to write, as was this one. Now, the next couple of chapters will be focusing on Christmas, so if you have any ideas of what you think should happen, or what presents should be given or anything at all, please let me know, cause I'm really stuck for ideas on this one. After that, it wont be long until my original part of the story ends, and S.E. Hinton's plot begins..yay.**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own the Outsiders...even though I wish I did. I only own a few characters that I have plucked out of my mind to help move this story along. In this chapter, I own, Melody, Ginny and Tommy...same as last time.**

"I still don't see why I had to come." Dally said. They had been out for about two and a half hours now, and Tommy was getting so much candy...as well as Two-Bit. But everyone thought that was out of pity for his costume.

"It's practise." Two-Bit said.

"For what?" Dally wondered.

"For when you and Melody have kids." Two-Bit said. The entire group stopped walking then. Dally and Melody looked like they had seen a ghost.

"Uhh....there's a couple more blocks left. We could get to them before we have to head back." Soda said, trying to break the awkward moment.

"Yeah, come on guys!" Tommy said. When they reached the last house, Tommy was exhausted. Trick-or-treating with five older kids, for almost four hours can take it out of you. He yawned as he thanked the woman at the door and slowly made his way back to the others, who were waiting for him at the gate.

"You look tired, honey." Melody said, brushing his hair out of his eyes. Tommy didn't respond...only yawned.

"Come on let's get you home." Soda said. They walked a little way, but had to keep stopping when Tommy fell behind a little. Finally Dally stopped and crouched down to the ground.

"Hop on kid." he said. The others watched in shock as Steve took Tommy's bag and passed it to Soda before he helped the sleepy ten year old onto Dally's back. Melody couldn't help but smile at this. She watched as Tommy held on, while resting his head on Dally's shoulder..and her mind couldn't help but wander back to what Two-Bit had mentioned earlier. For some reason, at that particular moment, she could actually picture Dallas Winston looking after a kid. Finally they arrived back at the Curtis house.

"I'm gonna head back home. Steve, you wanna help me eat all this?" Two-Bit wondered, lifting up his bag of goodies. It was practically bulging at the sides, although it would have bee a lot heavier if The twins and Dally stopped taking bits out of it when Two-Bit wasn't looking.

"Sure." Steve shrugged. The two said goodbye to the others and started making their way down the street. Soda walked ahead and opened the gate for Dally, who carried the sleepy boy inside, followed by the twins.

"Hey, you guys have fun?" Ginny asked from the doorway. Tommy lifted up his head and nodded.

"Yeah it was great." Soda said, handing her Tommy's candy.

"Well, if it's alright with you guys, we might stay here. It's getting late and I thought we could give you a hand with the cripple in there." Ginny laughed, pointing to Darry's room.

"Yeah, that's fine. We can set Tommy up on the couch if he wants, it is very comfortable." Melody smiled. The little one nodded his head in agreement. Melody made some space on the couch and grabbed a blanket and pillow for him before Dally carefully set him down. He was asleep within seconds. Careful not to wake him, Dally sat on the arm of the couch beside him.

"Alright, well Pony and Soda can still have their room and I can..." Ginny started.

"Just stay with Darry." The twins said in unison. Ginny rolled her eyes. Over the last couple of months, she had started getting used to the twins 'freaky mind powers'.

"Come on Gin, what happens if he falls out of bed or something...you'd be the first one to get to him." Soda noted.

"Fine...if he doesn't mind." Ginny said.

"He won't." the twins said, smiling at each other. Ginny smiled and walked back to check on Darry. Melody laughed and turned to Dally, who was still sitting on the arm of the couch. He looked down at Tommy before getting up.

"I gotta go." he said. Melody nodded and walked him to the door.

"I'll see you later." he said, kissing her. Mel nodded and shut the door behind him. She turned around and saw that she was now the only one in the living room, with the exception of Tommy on the couch. She thought that everyone must have gone to bed, seeing as it was now almost ten. She was about to head to bed herself, that is until she heard her brother in the kitchen. Laughing quietly to herself, she went to see what the hell he was doing. She watched from the doorway as he grabbed some cake and chocolate milk out of the icebox.

"Midnight snack?" she wondered. Soda turned around and smiled.

"It's ten o'clock, not midnight. And I realized that we didn't eat dinner, excluding that candy that we stole from Two-Bit's bag when he wasn't looking." Soda said.

"Grab me some of that and we can sit in my room if you want." Mel said.

Soda nodded and returned to fixing their so called 'dinner.' Mel went back to her room and got changed into her pyjamas. Her brother came in a few minutes after with two glasses and a plate of cake, as well as some of the candy that he had stashed in his pockets. The two sat down on her bedroom floor, among the number of blankets and pillows and shared their snack. When they were done, Melody went to the bathroom and grabbed some things to do her hair with. She handed him her hairbrush before sitting on the floor in front of him.

"Can I ask you something?" Soda asked, seperating parts of her hair.

"You just did...but sure." Melody laughed.

"What did you think about what Two-Bit said tonight?" he wondered as he continued to braid his sister's hair. Melody sat there.

"I...I don't know." she said. Soda rolled his eyes.

"Come on, you gotta be thinking something." he said. "Have you ever thought about it?"

"About me and Dal having kids?" Mel wondered.

"Yeah."

"Well...I guess I'd be lying if I said it hadn't crossed my mind before." Mel admitted. "But, I don't know."

"Can you see it...having that kind of life with him?" Soda wondered. It was true. Occasionally she had imagined what it would be like to be married to Dally, and raise a family. Of course, she knew she was young. She knew she had her entire life ahead of her. But with the way things were going at that moment, she remembered her birthday wish, of wanting to live to see her twenty first birthday. She also remembered her parents, and how happy they had been together. Mel always knew that was that she wanted.

"Yeah...I guess I can." she said. Soda smiled to himself.

"Pass me that ribbon will ya?" he asked. Melody reached across the floor, handing her brother the green ribbon. After a few more minutes, he was done.

"There." he said, examining his work. Melody smiled and reached her hand back, feeling her long hair that was now held back in a tidy braid.

"How you got so good at braiding my hair is beyond me." Mel laughed. Soda just shrugged and helped her off the floor.

"I'm gonna head to bed." Soda said. Mel nodded and gave him a hug before he left. Melody sighed and got into bed.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Mel rested her arms on the porch rails. The faint glow from the end of her cigarette stood out against the darkness of the night. She woke up a few hours later, and couldn't get back to sleep, so she silently got out of bed, careful not to wake anyone up, and went had immediately regretted not grabbing a jacket outside with her. Instead, she stood out there, freezing in her pyjamas, consisting of a t-shirt and shorts.

"You're up late." a voice said from the shadows. Mel smiled and took another drag from her cigarette.

"So are you." she said as Dal climbed the porch steps and stood next to Mel.

"I got into a fight with the old bastard again." he said, stealing Mel's smoke from her and putting it to his lips. Mel sighed and stole it back.

"Did you get hurt?" she asked.

"Nothing I can't handle." he said. Mel rolled her eyes.

"That's not what I asked." she said. "It's only me here, Dal." she heard him sigh.

"Yeah, a little." he admitted. Silence loomed around them for a few minutes before Mel had an idea.

"Crash here if you want." she said. Dal turned to face her.

"Really?" he wondered. Melody nodded.

"Yeah, come on. I'll have a look at you and get you cleaned up." she said.

"Don't you think Darry might, I don't know...wanna kill me?" Dal asked. Melody rolled her eyes at her boyfriend.

"Ok, number one, It's not like you haven't stayed here before. Two, he's kinda confined to his room at the moment, so he can't chase you down the street. And three, Ginny's staying over too so if he say's anything, I'll just call him a hypocrite." Mel said. She flicked the cigarette butt into the garden and turned to head back inside.

"But isn't she staying to help him out with his leg and everything?" Dally wondered. Mel turned around to face him, with her arms crossed.

"Do you wanna stay or not?" she asked, a playful smile threatening on her lips.

"Yeah..." Dally said.

"Then get your ass into the house." Mel laughed. Dally grinned and followed her into the house. Once they were both inside, Mel carefully shut the door behind her, when she heard someone cough behind them. Both she and Dal turned around and saw Ginny standing there.

"Late night visit?" she asked, trying her best not to laugh at the two teens she caught.

"He got into a fight with his old man, I thought that he could crash here." Melody said.

"Sure, it's not my house. I just got up to get a glass of water. Besides, you're both responsible, right?" Ginny smiled. Both Mel and Dal nodded as they made their way to the bathroom.

"Oh Mel, remember the walls are paper thin." Ginny laughed. Melody's eyes widened as she grabbed a nearby cushion and threw it at her friend. Ginny laughed and moved the the safety of Darry's doorway.

"Night guys." she smiled, before shutting the door. Melody rolled her eyes before finally getting to the bathroom. In the proper light, Mel could see the bruises on Dal's face, and his bloody lip.

"Christ, Dal." she said. She pointed to the side of the bathtub and told him to sit down. She grabbed a washcloth and after rinsing it with water, she began dabbing it on his lip. Dally winced, and pulled away.

"Oh stop it you big baby." Mel laughed, pulling his face back towards her. When she was done, he took his shirt off to reveal a cut on his shoulder.

"How...?" she asked.

"Broken bottle." Dally answered. Melody shook her head and started cleaning it up. After a little while, she was done.

"So, are you going to kiss it better?" Dally joked.

Melody laughed and leaned in, carefully pressing her lips to his. But it was obvious that Dal didn't want her to be gentle. As soon as her lips touched his, he lifted her up off the floor and sat her on his lap. His arms wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her closer. Mel wound her arms around his neck as she deepened the kiss.

"Come on." She said. She got up off his lap and took his hand. Dal picked up his shirt from the floor as they walked back to her room. Mel sat on the edge of the bed as Dal shut the door behind him. He then walked over and sat next to her, pulling her into another kiss. Melody wrapped her arms around his neck once again, giving him control as he gently laid her on her back without breaking the kiss. Dal began a trail of soft kisses down her neck, when he reached above her scar. Mel shuddered and pulled away from him.

"Mel...there's nothing wrong with your scar." Dal told her. Melody looked up at him in disbelief.

"Easy for you to say. You don't have to put up with it every single day." She said. Dal sighed and sat up.

"You're right, I don't." he said. "But I do have to live with the fact that it's my fault." Melody looked at him. Ever since that night, she had been consious about her scar. The one on her stomach wasn't that bad, not everyone saw it. But she hated the one on her neck, convinced she needed to put make-up over it to hide it's monstrocity.

"I'd rather live with the guilt." Mel said. Dally looked at her and shook his head.

"...No, you don't." he said. It was only then that Mel could see it clearly. While she lived with the physical affects of it, Dally had to live with the emotional side of it all. He still believed that it was his fault. And that guilt haunted him ever since. Melody sighed and leaned in, gently grazing her lips against his. Dal sighed and looked at her. He pulled a stray strand of hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear.

"Well, are you gonna kiss me or not?" Mel wondered. Dal grinned at her and continued the trail, but didn't stop when he reached the scar. Instead, he kissed it lovingly, then trailed down to the similar scar that adorned her stomach.

"I love you Dal." Mel said, curling up in his arms. Dal smiled and kissed her forehead before pulling her closer to him.

"I love you too kid."


	42. Is that?

Dally wasn't sure where he was when he woke up the next morning. It took him a few minutes to remember that he went over to the Curtis house after he had another 'disagreement' with his dad. He smiled when he saw Melody sound asleep and cuddled up beside him.

She really did look different when she was sleeping. She looked younger and, not that she didn't always, but she looked beautiful. He couldn't help but smile when he woke up beside her like this. To him, it was the best feeling in the world, better then fighting or being at those wild parties at Buck's...although he would never EVER tell anyone that. He couldn't believe how stupid he had beemn how he almost threw it all away.

"Why are you watching me?" Melody wondered sleepily, a small smile creeping onto her face. Dal laughed, and pushed the hair our of her face

"How did you know I was watching you?" he wondered. Melody's smile widened, but she didn't open her eyes yet. She just shuffled over to get comfortable again.

"I know everything, remember. I thought you would have figured that out by now." she said. Dal shook his head as he laughed. There was definately no denying that.

"Well?" Mel asked.

"Well what?" Dal asked. He knew that if her eyes were open, she would have rolled them. A common trait among the Curtis twins.

"Why were you watching me?" she pressed. Dally grinned and leaned down to kiss her.

"Because you look beautiful when you sleep." he said. Melody scoffed.

"Well, aren't you sweet." she laughed.

"Only to you." Dal replied. Mel smiled and opened her eyes finally. She was about to say something when she heard the voices outside the door. She sighed.

"Do we have to go out there?" she asked.

"Unless you want them to come in here and drag us out...then your brothers probably would kill me...yes we have to." Dal said. Melody sighed and hit him with her pillow.

"Come on." Dal said, pulling her arms, helping her sit up.

"But I don't want to!" Mel exclaimed, grabing her pillow and hugging it tightly. Dal couldn't help but laugh at her.

"You're becoming more and more like Two-it every single day." he said. "And trust me, that ain't a good thing."

"Fine." she sighed. Dal got up and waited for her to wake up properly as they both made their way outside.

Most of the gang were in the living room. Darry was sitting up in his chair, his plastered leg resting ontop of a pillow that someone had placed on the coffee table. Tommy and Ponyboy were sitting on the floor with a bunch of markers, colouring and decorating the white cast. Two-Bit, Steve and Soda were sitting on the couch, an array of brightly coloured candy wrappers surrounded them. Obviously they didn't get through Two-Bit's Halloween stash the night before.

"Morning Sleeping Beauties." Steve laughed, making the couple's presence known. Two-Bit's smile widened as he had a look at them.

"Have a little fun last night, did we?" he wondered, nodding towards Dally's shirtless chest. Mel rolled her eyes at him. Trust him to come up with that excuse. Darry honestly didn't look to happy at all. Melody looked at him and sighed.

"Settle down Darry, nothing happened." she said. She could tell that her brother wasn't sure if she was telling the truth.

"He didn't sleep with his shirt because he got into a fight with his old man and got cut. See?" she said, pointing to the gash on Dally's chest. "I cleaned it up and told him to sleep without it cause then it would be covered in blood and that means extra washing for me."

"Sure." Steve laughed. Ginny walked in and hit the back of his head with the newspaper before going over to Darry and giving him a cup of coffee.

"You've been spending too much time with her." Steve said, nodding towards Melody.

"Since when has that been a bad thing?" Melody smiled as she sat on the floor by the couch. She stole a chocolate from her brother before turning to the other two on the floor.

"What are you two doing?" she asked.

"Darry said we could draw on his cast." Tommy said, choosing a green marker from the pile.

"That's really cool." Mel smiled.

"Beats looking at all white." Darry smiled, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Just save me some room, alright?" Mel wondered. The two boys nodded and continued creating their masterpiece.

"So Darry, what are you gonna do with your time off?" Ponyboy wondered.

"Well, I..." Darry started.

"Nothing." Ginny said.

"But Ginny, I..." he tried. Ginny looked at him.

"Don't 'But Ginny' me. You heard what the Doctor said. You are to stay off that leg for at least another two weeks." Ginny said.

"God help us all." Dally laughed.

"And if you forget, you have all of us to remind you. Is that understood?" Ginny wondered. Darry sighed in defeat.

"Yes Ginny." he said. There was a moment of silence before the others burst out laughing.

"You are so whipped." Steve laughed. Two-Bit got up off the couch and put his thumb on Darry's head. Darry pushed his hand away, but Two-Bit just stood there and laughed. Darry sighed and grabbed one of his crutches from beisde him and tripped the laughing teen flat onto his back, making the others laugh even harder.

"What's so bad about relaxing for a couple of weeks, Dar?" Soda wondered.

"Sodie's right, Darry." Mel said. "You gotta slow down and relax otherwise you're gonna run yourself down too fast then we'll be stuck looking after you for longer."

"But I don't have time to relax." Darry said. "I have a house to run, the three of you to look after, plus at least four extras. I gotta work and all that."

"Not to mention Christmas shopping." Soda added.

"Wait, i thought we weren't doing christmas presents and all that this year?" Ponyboy said.

"Guys. I've been thinking," Melody said.

"Oh, heres trouble." Steve said. Mel grabbed a half-eaten candy bar and threw it at him, hitting him directly in the head.

"As I was saying. It's Christmas. I know it's not about the presents and all..."

"When did this happen?" Two-Bit wondered suddenly, sitting up from the floor. Dally sighed and whacked him in the back of the head.

"Shut up, wiseass." he warned. "This is a serious moment."

"I know it's not about the presents and all, but I don't think we should skip them completely. Come on, It's the first christmas since... since we lost Mom and Dad. I don't think they would have wanted us giving up everything." Mel said. Silence fell over them again, which was something that none of them were used to at all.

"She's right, you guys." Soda said, breaking the silence. "Christmas was Mom and Dad's favourite holiday. We had so many traditions that we had, we shouldn't stop now."

"Besides, we don't have to buy heaps of presents. We could buy what we need, then we could make some even." Ponyboy suggested.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Darry I'm gonna go for a walk." Melody said. Darry turned around as best his could to face her.

"Mel, you know I don't like you walking alone." he said.

"I'll be fine. I just gotta go clear my head. I've got a blade if I need it." She said, hoping that would calm him down a little. Darry sighed in defeat.

"Alright, but don't be too late coming home, you hear?" he said. Melody smiled and nodded. She grabbed her jacket and her sneakers before heading out the door. She walked around for a little while, trying to think of what to get everyone for christmas. The gang weren't really the easiest people to buy presents for.

Usually, Mel would start to think about what to get everyone for christmas earlier on in the year. Her mother would help her make a list so that she could be able to start getting things during the course of the year to beat the rush at Christmas.

So far she hadn't had much time to go and get presents. She got Ponyboy a new set of art pencils. He had had his current set since he was about five years old, and they were almost useless.

Soda was a hard person to decide. He kept telling her that he didn't want anything, which definately made Mel's job of getting him something a lot harder. And besides, she didn't really have enough money to buy a lot.

She needed to go somewhere. She needed someplace to go and think, to try and get a good idea of what to get. Suddenly, she had an idea. She walked across the street until she arrived at Buck Merrill's place.

Buck's seemed so different during the day. There weren't as many people there, like during his parties at night. Only him and a few people who were either hungover or decided to crash there for the day. She climbed the front steps and knocked on the door. She could hear faint voices inside the door before it opened, revealing Buck standing there in the doorway.

"Hey Mel, Dal's not here." he said.

"I know, I wanted to see you, actually." Mel said. Buck looked genually surprised at this.

"Me?" He wondered. Melody nodded her head.

"Yeah. I was wonderin, do you still have those stables?" She wondered.

"Yeah." Buck said, wondering why she was asking. She hadn't been up to the stables in the longest time.

"Do you think i might be able go head up there sometime?" Mel asked hopefully. Buck lifted his hat and scratched his head, as if thinking whether to say yes or no.

"Well, sure I guess. in fact, I was just about to head up there now. You can come if you want." He said, shrugging his shoulders. Melody smiled.

"Really?" She asked. Buck nodded.

"Sure." he said. Mel smiled in thanks and they both got into the old T-Bird. The drive up to the stables wasn't that long. Mostly they just talked about who got into a fight at the bar or who cheated who out of money in the last poker game. Other than that, it was a pretty quiet trip, not that either of them minded.

They arrived at the stables a short while later. It was just like Mel remembered. Both her and Soda shared a love of horses. They used to ride in rodeos all the time, both were pretty damn good at it too. They won heaps of trophies and awaeds, but their dad made them quit after Soda got hurt.

"God, this place hasn't changed a bit." Melody said, looked around the place as she got out of the car.

"Yeah, it's been a while since you've been up here though." Buck said. "What's it been, two years?" he wondered.

"Two and a half." Mel corrected. She walked up the drive and leaned against the fence. It really was a beautiful place. It was a lot quieter than their neighbourhood. Buck used to let her and Soda come up here sometimes to help out with the horses and such, riding them to make sure they got enough exercise and feeding them and stuff. But lately, neither one of them had been able to go. Mel was about to say something to Buck when something caught her eye.

"Is that...?"

**A/N: I am so cruel...leaving it like that. So, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. What did Melody see? Find out next chapter! I am in desperate need of some ideas for Christmas presents and things, so please please please...I need your help. Otherwise, the next couple of chapters might take a little longer...and none of us want that, do we? so please, REVIEW and let me know. **


	43. Remembering

**A/N: Greetings children. How are we all? Great. Here's another chapter for 'TTE', I hope you all enjoy it. For those of you who guessed that it was Mickey Mouse...congratulations. Either you're way too smart...or it was just obvious... oh well. Also, Thanks to everyone who voted in my poll. **

**There is now going to be another one posted. PLEASE READ THIS NOW, The future of this story is resting on you. I know that I always say that it's important for you to vote and everything...but I cannot stress this enough with this poll. I need your help about the ending. In other words: WILL DALLAS DIE LIKE HE DID IN THE BOOK/MOVIE???**

**I have two different endings for this story. Please, I am begging you. I need you to vote and let me know, also REVIEWs and ideas about the ending or upcoming things (Christmas, etc.) please let me know. But the information on the ending is important..otherwise if I cant finish it.**

**Hope you enjoy :)**

There was no denying it. Even if it had been a long time, and it was likely that nobody else would recognize him, Melody knew instantly that it was indeed, Mickey Mouse out in the field. Still in complete shock, she turned around to face Buck.

"It was you. You're the one who bought Mickey Mouse?" she wondered. Buck looked at her strangely, wondering how she knew the horse.

"Yeah. Why, you know him?" he asked. Melody laughed.

"Know him? Soda loved this horse. He kept saying that it was his because he was one of the only people that he'd listen to." She explained. She looked back over at the horse before turning back to Buck. She nodded towards the stables, silently asking if she could get closer. Buck nodded his head and watched as she slipped between the rails and walk over to the horse.

It seemed like so long since she had seen him. About five years if Melody remembered correctly. It was at the old stables where she and Soda used to work and Mickey Mouse was only a colt. Now, he was all grown up, a beautiful looking horse.

Carefully, she walked over to him. She remembered him being a very stubborn creature, occasionally mean to the other horses. Although he loved Soda, and Soda loved him back just the same. Mickey Mouse raised his head, sensing Melody that was there.

She almost thought that he was going to run away. Buck stood nearby, watching in case something happened. That horse had a reputation, known for hurting other horses, even some of the stablehands. But what he saw next, amazed him completely. Mickey Mouse started to slowly make his way over to her.

"Hey buddy...wow, you remember me dont'cha?" she said as the horse nuzzled her face. She laughed and gently patted him. She didn't hear Buck walking over to them.

"Well, I'll be." he said, scratching his head. "Looks like this fella must like you."

"I can't believe it's really him." Mel said. "It's been close to five years since me or Soda has seen him."

"Well, why don't you bring Soda down one time, I'm sure he'd love to see him again" Buck suggested. Melody looked as if she was thinking about it. He smile soon faded.

"Nah, I dont think so." She said sadly.

"Why not?" Buck wondered. Mel sighed and looked over at Buck.

"You have no idea how hard it was on Soda when he was sold. Poor kid cried himself to sleep night after night for ages. if I bring him here, it's gonna be even worse to get him to leave. I couldn't do that to him." She said. It was true. She remembered how crush Soda was when they went to work one day and were told that he had been sold. She also remembered how Ponyboy spent a whole year saving his money in a desperate bid to buy him back.

"Well, how about I make a deal with ya?" Buck suggested suddenly. Melody looked at him confused.

"A deal?" She wondered. Buck nodded his head.

"Yeah. You can help me out around here, whenever you can. I wont pay you, but in return, I'll give you the horse." he said. Melody almost thought she was imagining things. She looked at him as if he had grown another head.

"Are...are you for real?" she wondered. Buck chuckled lightly and nodded his head.

"Yeah." he said. Melody didn't care if it was completely stupid. She ran over to him and almost knocked him over in a hug. Buck was shocked at first, then slowly returned the hug.

"Thank you so much!"

"It's alright...now get off me." he joked. Mel smiled and broke away from the hug.

"Come on, let's get outta here. I gotta clean my place up before the party tonight." Buck said. Melody nodded her head. She said goodbye to Mickey Mouse and followed Buck back to the car. Melody couldn't wipe the smile off her face. That was one more present that she didn't need to buy.

oOoOoOoOoOo

When Mel got back that afternoon, the house was much quieter than when she left. She found her oldest brother in his chair, same as she left him.

"Where is everyone?" she asked. Darry glanced up from his paper at her before turning the page.

"Dunno." he said. "Steve, Dallas and your brother headed off somewhere and Ponyboy and Two-Bit are in the kitchen."

"What about Ginny and Tommy?" she wondered. Darry sighed.

"Eileen's not well again. They had to go home." he said. Melody sighed. Their grandmother, Eileen hardly left their house anymore. She was constantly ill, causing Ginny to run the house, work and take care of her brother and grandmother.

"Can I get you anything, Darry?" She asked. Darry thought about it and nodded.

"I hate not being able to move." he said. "But if you're heading to the kitchen, I'd love a coffee."

Mel smiled and nodded her head. She took her jacket off and threw it onto her bed before heading into the kitchen. Ponyboy and Two-Bit were sitting at the kitchen table.

"Come on kid, you gotta trust me." Two-Bit said. Melody shook her head. It was probably never a good idea to ask Two-Bit to help out with homework.

"This is coming from a guy who's been a junior for how many years now?" Ponyboy retorted. The eighteen year old opened his mouth a couple of times, trying to come up with a decent comeback...but no such luck.

"Careful there Two-Bit, you kinda look like a fish." Mel laughed, grabbing a coffee mug from the cupboard. Her best friend scowled at her before heading to the fridge to help himself to another beer.

"Two-Bit Matthews why don't you go to your own damn house and drink your own beer?" Darry shouted from the living room. The three teens looked at each other confused, wondering how he knew. Two-Bit shrugged his shoulders and opened the can.

"What's he gonna do? Jump up and chase me down the street?" he wondered.

"Don't tempt him." Ponyboy said. "He's stubborn enough to get up with or without the cast."

"I'm not stubborn." Darry called out in defense.

"You are too. And besides, he knows better then to disobey...anyone of us would tell him what for." Melody said.

"I can hear you, you know?!" Darry shouted.

"We know!" the three called out.

oOoOoOoOoOo

_"Soda!" Melody called out. She stood at the kitchen stove, stirring a pot of bubbling pasta._

_"What!" her twin yelled back. Mel shook her head. Her brother often started doing something, then forgot about it halfway through. Luckily she was there in the kitchen at that moment to stop their dinner from burning.  
_

_"Honestly! I wonder why we even let you on dinner duty." she said. Soda stuck his head through the doorway and looked at her confused. Mel sighed and pointed to the pot. Soda looked and then slapped his hand to his head._

_"Sorry Mel." he said. Melody rolled her eyes and sighed._

_"Whatever. But just be more careful next time. Mom won't be happy if you burn her kitchen down." she laughed. Soda smiled and went back to whatever had taken his mind off the dinner. After serving up, Mel called her three brothers into the kitchen for their dinner._

_"Pony, have you finished your homework?" Darry asked. The youngest looked up at his older brother and nodded._

_"Good, we'll have Dad check it when he gets home." Darry said._

_"What time did they say they'd be back?" Ponyboy asked, not talking to anyone directly._

_"Not until late." Melody said. "Mom said she wanted us in bed before they get home."_

_"Exactly. Meaning that no sneaking out to go out with Steve," Darry said, pointing to Soda. Melody laughed at this. Darry then turned his attention to his sister. "Or Two-Bit or Dallas for that matter, either." That shut her up. Both twins looked down at their plates._

_"Yes Darry." they said together. After dinner they all relaxed in front of the TV. Darry and Ponyboy retired to bed fairly early, he had a track meet the next day. The twins stayed up a little longer playing cards before being overcome with tiredness. They said goodnight to their older brother and switched the front light on for their parents before heading to bed._

_At about eleven thirty, Darry was still sitting up in his father's armchair, reading the paper. He wondered where his parents were, they were never home this late. Sighing to himself, he got up and turned off the lamp. He was about to close his bedroom door when the phone rang. He figured it was probably Two-Bit and one of his drunken prank calls again, soon he would find something shiny to focus on and hang up. But stil, the phone kept ringing._

_"Will somebody get the damn phone?!" Melody shouted out. Darry sighed and walked over to the phone._

_"Hello?" he answered tiredly. There was a long pause as he listened to the caller. He almost dropped the phone as he struggled to find his voice to mumble a reply. With his shaking hand, he put the phone back onto the reciever before he collapsed down onto the couch._

_He took a couple of moments to find his strength before he pulled himself up off the couch and going to wake up his siblings. Melody's room was closest. Darry opened the door and found her sound asleep. Lucky she didn't pick that night to sneak out._

_"Melody." He said, sitting down on the edge of her bed. He didn't get a reply, so he tried again._

_"Hmmfmm" was his response. He sighed and shook herf shoulders._

_"What?" she asked, not fully awake._

_"Get up." Darry said._

_"But I don't want to." she complained. _

_"Melody...please." Darry said. Melody could tell that something wasn't right. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at her big brother, and nothing could prepare her fro what she saw. He was crying._

_"Darry, what's wrong." she wondered. Darry said nothing. He just got up off her bed and walked next door. Wanting answers, Melody scrambled out of bed and followed him to the boy's room. She found him having a tough time getting her brothers up._

_"Come on, Darry." Soda whined. "Let me sleep."_

_"Soda get out of bed." she said softly, yet forcefully. Sodapop sighed and shook his little brother awake. Darry sighed and sat with his brothers and sister._

_"There...something's happened." Darry said softly._

_"Who's done what now?" Soda wondered, thinking that one of the guys had done something...again. Darry sniffed and shook his head._

_"It's nothing like that...there was... an a-accident." he said. The other three were trying to figure out what he was talking about._

_"What...what kind of accident?" Ponyboy asked, speaking up for the first time. Darry sighed._

_"An autowreck." he said. Melody's eyes widened as she realized what he was getting at. She prayed to God that it wasn't what she was thinking._

_"Mom and Dad...they didn't make it." he said, before finally breaking down. The three were in complete shock. Their parents were gone...forever. They were never going to see them again. It was far too much for them to comprehend. Melody jumped off the bed and raced out of the room._

_"MELODY!" She heard her brothers yelling out, but she didn't listen. Completely forgetting shoes, a jacket, or the fact that she was dressed in her pyjamas, Melody threw the door open and raced out of the yard. She didn't want to believe it. Her parents couldn't be gone. There was no way. It was only a few hours ago that her father was playing her a song on his guitar and her mother was fussing over one of them for some reason or another._

_Tears fell down her cheeks as she ran. She didn't care where she was running, she just knew she needed to get away. After a while she stopped to catch her breath. She looked up and found that she was at the playground. Tears fell from her eyes as she remembered all the times her parents had taken her and her brothers there._

_She walked over, past the swingset and over to the slide. There was a small tunnel under it, the perfect hiding place. Melody crawled in and brought her knees upto her chest, quietly sobbing to herself._

_After what seemed like hours later, Mel heard the sound of the tanbark underneath someone's shoes, and she knew she wasn't alone anymore._

_"Come on kid, no more hiding." Melody ignored him. She stayed silent sitting in the tunnel. She heard them sigh and pretty soon she was face to face with Dallas._

_"Hey." he said quietly. Melody sighed and tried to wipe the tears from her eyes frantically. Dally sighed and pulled her hand away from her face._

_"You know you don't have to hide the fact that your crying." he said. Melody turned to look at him and saw something that she thought she would never see. His eyes were red and puffy. It was then that Mel knew that he had been crying too. Suddenly, the facade was broken, and she broke down, leaning her head against his shoulder._

_"They can't be gone." she cried. "I only saw them a few hours ago." Dally sighed and wrapped his arm around her comfortingly. Well, as best as he could in the tunnel. He might have been a tough hood...but one thing he couldn't stand, was a girl crying...especially when that girl was his best friend._

_"Why did they have to die, Dally?" she asked._

_"I...I don't know, Mel." he said honestly. "I should get you home." He said, starting to get up. But Melody pulled on his jacket._

_"No, please. Can we just stay here...just a little longer?" she wondered. Dally sighed and nodded. The two stayed like that for a long time as Mel continued to cry for what seemed like forever. Pretty soon, she didn't think she could cry anymore._

_"Alright, we can go now." she said softly. Dally nodded and helped her get up. The two walked in silence back to the Curtis house. When they got there, everyone was sitting in the living room. Steve was sitting comforting Soda. Johnny was sitting on the couch with Ponyboy, and Two-Bit was sitting one the arm of the armchair with consoling Darry. Everyone's head looked up when Mel and Dally came in._

_"Oh thank God." Darry said. Melody sighed an walked over to her brother and hugged him tight. Two-Bit rubbed her back reassuringly._

_"I'm sorry Darry." Mel whispered. Darry ran his hand through his baby sister's hair and tried to calm her down._

_"It's ok, honey." he said. The others all sat quietly, trying to come to terms with what had guys decided to crash that night, all taking over the living room or one of the bedrooms. The Curtis kids, however, spent the night together in their parents room. Darry sat in the middle of the bed, with one of the twins on either side of him. Ponyboy lay snuggled beside his sister._

_"We're all gonna have to stick together." Darry said._

_"We will, all of us will help out." Ponyboy said._

_"Just...promise we'll stay together. I don't think I can stand losing anyone else." Melody said._

_"Don't worry, __I'm never gonna let anything happen to you.__" Darry said._

oOoOoOoOoOo

Melody awoke with a start. She had been having similar dreams over the last couple of nights, although none of them had woken her up before. But that was probably because it wasn't a dream at all. It was a memory, her reality. She sighed and ran her hand through her hair as she turned and saw Dally asleep next to her. She sighed to herself and quietly settled back down to sleep. She felt Dally turn around and wrap his arm around her, pulling her closer to him. Melody couldn't tell if he was awake, or dreaming. Either way, she felt safe in his arms. She always had.


	44. Is that what it's gonna take?

**A/N: Hey everyone. I was going to wait for a little while to post another chapter. But I couldn't wait. I'm considering it an early birthday present :P.... Yay It's my birthday on Thursday XD I can't wait. **

**Also, I wish to dedicate this chapter to the late great, Patrick Swayze, 'Our Darry', who sadly lost his battle with cancer. **

**Patrick was one of the greatest in Hollywood (and one of my favourite actors), not only an incredible actor and dancer, but he was known to be one of the kindest and nicest people, a true Gentleman. **

**Me and my friends are going to have a 'Crazy for Swayze' Movie marathon this wekend after my birthday, watching heaps of his movies; like _Dirty Dancing, Ghost_ and, of course, _The Outsiders._**

**RIP Patrick, taken from this earth far to soon. But now he's without pain and is dancing up a storm wherever he is. **

November was passing byslowly. After weeks of driving everyone crazy, Darry's leg finally healed and he was able to walk, and get back to work. Melody had spent a lot of her free time at Buck's stables, helping out with as much as she could to save up to buy Mickey Mouse. It was now a little over two weeks till Christmas, and everyone was getting ready.

One afternoon, Ponyboy was coming home from a track meet and decided to head over and visit the twins and Steve at work. It wasn't too long until they would finish up for the day, and maybe if he was lucky, Mel or Soda would let him help work on the cars.

As he crossed the street to the DX, he could already hear the music blasting from the radio that the twins kept outside in the garage. He found Melody and Steve sitting out the front taking a break.

"Hey Ponyboy." Mel smiled as he got there. "How was track?"

"It was ok." Pony shrugged, sitting down next to his sister. "I got managed to get some sketches done." She smiled and turned to face the office.

"Soda!" she called out.

"What?!"

"Get you're lazy butt out here and bring an extra bottle of pop, will ya?" she asked.

"Hey Pony!" Soda yelled out from inside. Ponyboy grinned as his brother came out of the office and handed him a Pepsi. After they relaxed for a while, and Ponyboy showing his siblings his sketches, they all had to get back to work.

Steve went inside to do some paperwork and Soda and Mel went back into the garage. Ponyboy sat on the gound by the car with a bunch of tools in front of him, handing them to Mel, who was working underneath. He sat with his sketchbook, watching and drawing Soda as he worked. Melody finished up and rolled out from under the car just as Ponyboy finished his drawing.

"There, what do you think?" he asked his sister. Melody looked at the sketch then to her twin and back at the sketch.

"Hideous," she said. "It looks just like him." Soda stuck his tongue out at his sister as he helped Pony pack up the tools.

Before they knew it, it was time to head home. What was a warmish spring day with the sun shining bright, turned chilly and dark by the time they were ready to leave.

"You guys grab another bottle while I go lock up." Mel said. The guys grabbed themselves another drink and waited patiently by the gas tanks for Mel to lock up. When she was done, Soda handed her her drink and they left.

They were forced to walk because Steve's car had some last minute servicing to be done back at the DX. They walked down the street until they came to the abandoned lot.

"Hey, maybe we should have another football game soon." Mel suggested.

"Why, so we can kick you're skinny little butt again?" Soda teased.

"That was unfair! You and Two-Bit are two of the biggest cheats around." she complained.

"You're just jealous because you suck at football." Soda laughed. Melody grinned evilly and jumped on her brother's back.

"Wow, a cheater and a liar." she laughed. Steve and Ponyboy watched on, grinning. Both agreeing that the twins were both completely out of their minds.

They finished off their last bottle of Pepsi and Pony was kicking a couple of rocks down the street, telling the others about what happened at the track meet, when Steve stopped suddenly. The others looked at him, confused as to why he stopped so suddenly. He bent down to the ground and picked something up from the curb. It was Johnny's jacket--the only one he had.

"Looks like Johnny forgot his jacket," Steve said.

"Johnnycake never goes anywhere without that." Mel said. Steve shrugged, slinging the jacket over his shoulder. They had to walk by anyway, so he might as well to take it by Johnny's house.

Suddenly he stopped and looked it more carefully. There was a stain across the collar. It was an off red colour, more like rust. Steve looked at the ground. The others were confused, and followed his gae to the ground.

There were stains on the grass, just like the one on the jacket. Steve looked up and across the field with a stricken expression on his face. The others, afraid of looking up, glanced over across the field. There was no denying the low moan they heard and the dark motionless hump they could see on the other side of the lot.

Melody jumped off her brother's back and ran across the field, sliding onto her knees in the mud to get over to him, with Soda mere inches behind her. They paled at what they saw. Johnny was lying face down on the ground. Ponyboy and Steve made their way over to them as Soda turned him over gently. Someone had beaten him badly.

They were all used to seeing Johnny banged up, what with his parents constantly hitting him, and although it made them madder than anything, there was nothing that they could do about it.

But, compared to this, those beatings were nothing. Johnny's face was cut up, all bruised and swollen, and there was a wide gash from his temple to his cheekbone. Ponyboy instantly thought of Melody's scar. It had been months since her attack, but she would keep the scar for the rest of her life. And now, Johnny would have a similar horrific momento too.

Ponyboy stood there in shock as he looked at his best friend, lying there. His once white T-shirt was now splattered with blood. His first thought was that he might be dead; surely nobody could be beaten like that and live. Steve closed his eyes for a second and muffled a groan as he dropped on his knees beside the twins.

Somehow the gang sensed what had happened. Two-Bit was suddenly there beside Ponyboy, his arm wrapped protectively around his shoulder for reassurance. For once his grin was nowhere in sight, and his dancing gray eyes, hat were usually full of life, were dark and stormy.

Darry had seen the group from the front porch and ran toward them, suddenly skidding to a halt. Dally was there, too, swearing under his breath, and turning away with a sick expression on his face.

Melody wiped the tears from her eyes and lifted Johnny up, with Soda's help, holding him against her shoulder. She gave his limp body a slight shake. Soda sat beside her, helping her cradle their friend.

"Johnny?" Soda asked, hoping to god for an answer. He looked at Melody, wondering if she could get though to him. Melody sighed and looked down at him. She took her hand and put it on his cheek soothingly, where it was the least bit bruised.

"Hey, Johnnycake." she said quietly, running her hand through his hair.

"Mel? Soda?" Johnny whispered. He didn't open his eyes, but at least they knew he was still alive. Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, it's us," Sodapop said. "Don't talk. You're gonna be okay."

"There was a whole bunch of them," Johnny went on, swallowing, ignoring what Soda said. "A blue Mustang full... I got so scared..."

Suddenly, Johnny started crying, fighting to control himself, then sobbing all the more because he couldn't. The gang was taken back a little, they had seen Johnny take a whipping with a two-by-four from his old man and never let out a whimper. Melody just held him and pushed Johnny's hair back out of his eyes, rocking him gently like a tiny child.

"It's okay, Johnnycake, they're gone now. It's okay." she said, in a desperate bid to calm him down. With the help of the guys, the twins were able to get Johnny inside the house.

"Let him have my room." Melody said. "I'll take the floor or the couch or something." Darry and Dally managed to carefully get Johnny into her room and onto the bed. The others stood in the living room. Both Soda and Melody's shirts were now stained with blood and dirt, but they didn't care. Soon, once they wre sure he was comfortable, Dally and Darry came out of her room. The others all looked at them.

"Mel, you look after him?" Darry said. Melody said nothing, but nodded her head. She went to the bathroom and got everything she needed to help fix Johnny up.

When she made it to her room, she had to use every ounce of strength she had left not to cry again. Seeing him like that, so helpless, made her heart break into a million pieces. She carefully sat down beside him. She couldn't stop the tears falling again as she looked at him. His face was almost unrecognizable, she couldn't help but wonder how she looked after her attack.

Carefully, she cleaned his face, getting rid of the mixture of blood and dirt. Finally, he started to look like Johnny again. When she was done, Mel looked at the large cut on the side of his face, touching it gently. Johnny moved slightly and whimpered, opening his eyes slowly.

"M-Mel?" he whispered hoarsely. Melody smiled weakly.

"Hey honey." she said. "How you feelin'?"

"Terrible." Johnny said. His eyes scanned the room, taking in his surroundings. "How'd I get here?"

"Dally and Darry carried you in here." Mel explained. "Do you remember anything?" Johnny was quiet for a long while, trying to piece together the bits he could remember about what happened. Suddenly, it all flooded back to him all at once. Johnny closed his eyes painfully and started to cry. Melody sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. As painlessly as he could, Johnny rested his head against her shoulder, wanting her to hold him close and protect him.

"Hey, hey." Mel said soothingly, running her hand through his hair as she held him close. "It's alright. It's okay."

Finally, between sobs, Johnny managed to tell her what happened. He had been hunting the football to practice a few kicks when a blue Mustang had pulled up beside the lot. There were four Socs in it. They had caught him and one of them had a lot of rings on his hand- Mel figured that's what had cut his face up so badly. But Melody soon realized that it wasn't just that they had beaten him half to death, he probably could have taken that.

They had scared him. They had threatened him with everything under the sun. Everyone knew that Johnny was high-strung anyway, a nervous wreck from getting belted every time he turned around and from hearing his parents fight all the time. Living in those conditions might have turned someone else rebellious and bitter, but it was slowly killing Johnny.

Outside her room, they could hear the others explaining what happened and how they found him. When they got to the part about Ponyboy walking to the DX alone, Darry went completely nuts.

"You walked home by yourself?!" he screamed. Melody could only picture her little brother at that moment, flinching away from Darry screaming. "Are you completely out of your mind?!"

"I was only walking home from the track." Ponyboy said. "I didn't think..."

"You don't ever think," Darry broke in, "not here at home or anywhere when it counts. You must think at school, with all those good grades you bring home, and you've always got your nose in a book, but do you ever use your head for common sense?"

Melody sighed and shook her head. She wished that Darry would go easier on Ponyboy. She heard Johnny sigh and looked down at him.

"Will you all keep it down!" They heard Dally said. "The kids had a rough day, he needs to rest." Both Mel and Johnny smiled. It took a lot of guts to stand up to Darry.

"Hey, don't listen to them." Melody told Johnny. "You just close your eyes and rest, okay?" she said. Johnny nodded his head and started to relax. Melody stayed there with him, fresh tears falling down her cheeks, waiting until he fell asleep. She thought about what had happened that day. It had become clear that the Socs were now targeting anyone on their side of the tracks. First Tommy, then her, now Johnny. How long was it all going to last?

Finally, she felt Johnny's breathing steady, and she knew he had finally fallen asleep. Carefully, she pulled out of his grasp and got up, leaving him to sleep. The living room was empty when Melody left her room. She could hear voices coming from out in the backyard. She was about to head out there when something caught her eye. She saw her big brother sitting alone out the front. She wiped the tears from her eyes and walked over so she was leaning in the front doorway.

"When are those bastards gonna leave us alone?" she asked. Darry looked up at her and gave her a sympathetic smile. He moved over on the seat and motioned for her to come and sit with him. Mel sighed and wiped her eyes before sitting next to him. Darry sighed and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to him.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take Darry." Mel said.

"I know baby." he said.

"I mean it. How many more of us are gonna have to go through this before it stops. What's it gonna take?" Mel wondered. "Does someone have to be hospitalized or something or...or even killed? Is that what's gonna take it to stop?"

Darry sighed and gave his sister a gentle kiss on her forehead before he got up and held out his hand for her.

"Come on." He said. "I can't believe I'm saying this to my little sister...but you look like you could use a drink." Darry said. Melody smiled and took his hand and they both headed back inside.


	45. Butterfly Fly Away

**A/N: Hey everyone, I'm back with another chapter of Through Their Eyes... and a very long chapter at that...yay! First of all, I would like to say a huge THANKYOU to everyone who has favorited and alerted this story, it means so much to me to know that my work is being appreciated :) But what I would love even more is Reviews. They really do help with my writing so I know what to do and what not to do, because remember that I am writing this story for you, the readers. I also need some ideas on what to do fro Christmas which will be either the next chapter or the one after that...and we are getting close to the events in the book, so any suggestions at all will be wonderful.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Outsiders, yadda yadda yadda. I do own, in this chapter however, Melody, Ginny, Lyn and Teeny. I also don't own the song Butterfly Fly Away, it belongs to Miley Cyrus.**

**Hope you Enjoy :)**

Over the next couple of days, Mel continued to go to the stables every chance she could get. The others were starting to suspect something, but they knew that more often than not, there was method to her madness, so they just let it go.

Johnny had come along way since his 'run-in' with the Socs. He didn't go back to his place for a while, not that his folks would have noticed that he wasn't there anyway. But he had everything he needed right there at the Curtis place. An extra matteress had been set up on Pony and Soda's floor and whenever he needed some more clothes or something, one of the guys would just sneak around to his house when they were sure that Johnny's folks were either gone out or passed out cold.

One particular day, when everyone was either at work, school or in Two-Bit and Dally's case...God knows where, Mel was home with Johnny. He was sitting on the couch watching TV while Melody went about the house, cleaning up and complaining about how tidy her brother's room was.

"It's so weird." she called out. Johnny looked at her, leaning in Darry's doorway.

"What is?" he asked. Melody pointed into her older brother's room.

"He's too clean!" she said, as if it was the most horriffic crime imaginable. "I mean, He's a Greaser for crying out loud...none of us are that clean... hell, my folks were never that clean."

"I know. It's kinda hard to picture it...considering how the other rooms look." Johnny laughed. Melody smiled and nodded her head.

"True...but there are two people in there," she said, nodding over to her brothers' room. "Three with you there. And most of the time, there's two living in my room too."

"Good point." Johnny said. Melody smiled and checked the clock.

"Come on." she said. Johnny looked at her confused.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"I gotta get some stuff done, and there's no way in hell I'm leaving you alone." she said.

"I wouldn't be alone. Two-Bit's passed out on your front porch." Johnny said.

"He is?" Melody wondered staring out the window. Sure enough, her best friend was sitting on the porch swing...well, passed out in an upright position. Mel laughed and rolled her eyes.

"With him like that, it would be exactly the same as being alone. Besides, I need some help." she said. "And we haven't spent much time together lately." Johnny sighed and got up off the couch. Melody grabbed her bag and the two left the house, passing a snoring Two-Bit as they went.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"So this is where you've been spending all your time?" Johnny wondered, getting out of the car at the stables. Mel nodded.

"Yeah. I've been working here so I can get enough money to buy Mickey Mouse back for Soda." she explained. When she didn't get and answer, she turned to him and noticed that he had a weird look on his face.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing, you're just really sweet when you wanna be." he said. Melody laughed.

"Wasn't it only yesterday that you were agreeing with Two-Bit that I was nothing more than pure evil?" she questioned.

"Well...you have your moments." Johnny laughed. Mel rolled her eyes and the two headed off into the stables.

oOoOoOoOoOo

They had been working for a few hours now, and Mel sure was happy that Johnny was there to help her. They were getting twice the amount of work done. Melody had an idea about asking questions to each other to help pass the time. At first, Johnny wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but Mel promsed that he didn't have to answer anything that he didn't want to.

"...But then Darry chased him half way to Mexico after he got all of the lights off." Johnny laughed, remembering his favourite Christmas. Melody almost fell off the hay bail she was sitting on.

"Oh yeah! Then we were all laughing so hard cause it wasn't Two-Bit...it was Dad." she laughed. Last year's Christmas sure was eventful. Darry fell asleep in his father's armchair and their Dad thought it would be a good idea to use the extra Christmas tree lights to decorate his eldest son. **[A/N: true story based on my Uncle in 2004 and he blamed my best friend :P ]**Let's just say that it was hysterical to watch Darry try and untangle himself out of the lights then chase Two-Bit, believing it was him.

"That was a great year." Johnny said. Mel nodded.

"Yeah, it was." she said. "Alright, ask another one." Johnny thought about what to ask her.

"Okay...first real kiss?" he asked. Melody was impressed. Usually Johnny wouldn't ask something like that...he'd be too embarrassed.

"Two-Bit." she said.

"Really?" Johnny asked. Mel nodded.

"I think I was about 12." she said.

"Just before you started likeing Dally?" Johnny wondered. Mel smiled at him and nodded again.

"Yeah. I think I'm the only non-blonde that Two-Bit's ever kissed...or ever gonna kiss." she laughed. Johnny laughed and shook his head at Two-Bit's 'Blonde obsession.'

"But we both regretted it straight away...it was totally disgusting." Mel said, screwing her face up, making Johnny laugh.

"Alright, what about you?" she asked.

"Me what?" Johnny asked innocently. Melody looked at him with her hands on her hips, letting him know that he wasn't fooling her. Johnny sighed and mumbled something.

"I didn't quite catch that." Mel said.

"I've never kissed a girl." Johnny said, loud enough for her to hear him.

"Now that I find hard to believe." Melody said. "You're the most gorgeous guy on the planet." Johnny laughed.

"Right."

"Nope, I mean it Johnnycakes...you even beat Soda." Mel said.

"Even Soda?!" Johnny laughed. Mel nodded.

"Have you seen Soda? He's hideous." she laughed. Johnny smiled as she came and sat next to him on the hay bail.

"But seriously Johnny, any girl would be lucky to have you...I know I would." she said. Johnny blushed and looked to his feet. They sat in silence for a few moments until Mel had an idea.

"I've got a propersition for you." she said. Johnny looked up.

"I never like those words coming out of your mouth." he said. Melody pretended to be offended and playfully shoved his shoulder.

"A little faith wouldn't hurt, kiddo." she said. Johnny sighed.

"Alright, what are you planning?" he asked.

"If you haven't had your first kiss by the time you're 18, which I highly doubt you'll have to wait that long...would you consider letting me?" she wondered.

"Really?" Johnny wondered. Mel nodded. "What about Dally?"

"When have I ever really listened to Dally? To hell with Dally." Mel laughed. "Besides, I'd be honored." Johnny smiled and nodded.

"Thanks Mel." he said. Melody smiled and ruffled his hair before getting up and throwing him a brush for the horses.

"Okay, what's you're favourite place on earth?" Melody asked. Johnny got up and walked over to one of the horses. He thought long and hard about it.

"Well, there is one place." he said after a while. "But..."

"But...?" Mel pressed. Johnny sighed and brushed the horse's maine.

"I've never actually been there." he said. Melody looked at him confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked. After he finished brushing, Johnny grabbed one of the saddles and sat on a bail as he started polishing.

"I've always wanted to go to the beach." Johnny said. "But...I've never had the chance to go."

"The beach?" Mel asked. Johnny nodded.

"You know, You hear these stories of folks who take their kids to the beach and have a great day. Or those movies that we go and see at the Double." he said whistfully. Melody nodded her head. So all Johnny ever wanted was to go to the beach. She remembered one time that her parents took her, Soda and Darry, a year or so before Ponyboy was born. If her memory served correctly, the nearest beach was Gavelston, which was a fair while away.

"Don't worry, Johnnycake. I'm sure you'll get there someday." Mel said. Johnny smiled weakly at her before focusing his attention back on the saddle he was polishing.

oOoOoOoOoOo

When they got back to the house, it was about five O'clock. It was Friday, so everyone had finished work early, and Ponyboy had just come home from track. Everyone was inside when Mel and Johnny walked in. Two-Bit was sitting on the floor with his beer and cake, Soda and Steve were at the table playing poker, Ponyboy was in the armchair, Dally was on the couch and Darry was...nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Superman?" Mel wondered. Ponyboy nodded to the kitchen.

"He's on the phone to Ginny." he explained. Mel then noticed that the phone had been moved and the cords were leading to the kitchen. "She's been busy looking after her Grandmother again. That's why she hasn't been around lately."

"Speaking of not being around...where have you two been today?" Two-Bit wondered. Both Mel and Johnny looked at each other.

"Out." they both replied.

"Though you would have known that if you weren't passed out on the porch." Mel said, walking over to the couch. Dally pulled her close to him and she rested her head in his lap.

The rest of the night went by pretty quick. They all played a couple of games of cards and watched some TV. Lyn wanted Two-Bit home to to watch his little sister and Soda and Steve decided to go with him to keep him company. Which was fine my both Lyn and Two-Bit...it was just two more victims of make-over torture that 6 year old Tina caused her bother and his friends.

"Hey, do you think I might be able to head home tonight?" Johnny asked quietly. Everyone looked at him.

"Are you sure?" Two-Bit wondered. Johnny nodded.

"Yeah, I mean. My folks are probably not home, or passed out or something."

"You know you don't have to, Johnny. You know you can just stay here." Soda said.

"Yeah, I know. But I think I should head back." Johnny said. "I'll come back over here straight away if anything happens." he promised.

"Well, we'll walk you there." Steve offered. Johnny nodded and the four of them left the house.

Melody and Dal fell asleep on the couch a little after Mel got home. After quietly watching some TV, Ponyboy decided to head off to bed early after dinner. He had been involved in an all-day track competition, so he was exhausted. Darry made their dinner and left straight away to go and see Ginny, telling the others that he wasn't sure if he was going to be back that night.

It was about eight that night. The house was quiet, for once. They hadn't heard from Johnny, which in this case, was a good sign. Ponyboy was alseep and Mel and Dal were kicking back on the couch. Dal had his eyes closed, trying to relax while Mel was thinking quietly to herself.

"Let's go to the beach." she said suddenly. Dal opened his eyes at looked at her.

"What?" he asked, not sure if he heard her correctly. Mel nodded her head.

"I was talking with Johnny today. He told be he's always wanted to go to the beach. But _they_ never even thought about taking him." Mel said. "So, why don't we take him?"

"You wanna go to the beach?" Dal said, trying to wrap his head around it. Melody nodded. "Isn't the closest beach in, what, Texas?"

"It's about a 10 hour drive." Mel said. "If we pack up and leave tonight, take Ponyboy and Johnny in the car with us, we could be there by about 6 tomorrow."

"Six in the morning?!"

"Oh come on Dal. If we drive about 5 hours each, take it in turns, and with the way we drive, we could be there early. We could watch the sunrise...it'll be fun." Mel said. Dal sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Tonight?" he asked. Mel nodded.

"You can't be tired...we've slept practically the whole day." Mel said. Dally sighed and looked over at her and saw that she was pulling the puppy dog face.

"Not the face...come on, Mel." he begged. Mel grinned and scooted closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Please baby?" she asked. Dally groaned in frustration.

"Fine." he said, sighing in defeat. Mel smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you." she said as she got up off the couch. Dally still sat on the couch, wondering how he could let himself get dragged into this.

_The things I do for that girl._ he thought to himself as he got up off the couch finally. Mel grabbed the phone and rang Darry, letting him know her idea. But the line was busy, so she thought that she would leave a note.

At about nine, Mel packed up some blankets, some food and a change of clothes for her, Dal and the boys before handing it all to Dal as he packed it all up into the car. She ran into the kitchen and scribbled a quick note to the others.

_Taken the 'kids' to the beach._

_We're leaving now to make it for the sunrise._

_Tried calling you Darry but there was no answer_

_If you lazy bums get going when you get this in the morning, _

_Pack up the truck with some blankets and food and whatever else you need_

_and drive down to Galveston and we can all camp out there_

_Mel and Dal_

She left the note on the bench where she was sure someone would find it in the morning, and headed into her brother's room. She quietly tiptoed into the room and started to shake him gently.

"Pony...Ponyboy"

"Mmmhmmhmm" he mumbled.

"Come on." Melody said. Ponyboy finally opened his eyes slowly and looked at her.

"What?" he asked.

"Come on." she repeated.

"Shut up, let me get some sleep." Pony said

"There will be time to sleep in the car. Now let's go." Mel said. Ponyboy looked at her as if she was crazy.

"Go? Go where?" he wondered. Melody rolled her eyes.

"Don't ask so many questions." she laughed. "Get up, get dressed and get your skinny butt outside in five minutes or we're going without you." she said, getting up off the bed and heading out. Ponyboy sighed and slowly dragged himself out of bed, still with no clue as to what was going on.

Mel and Dally were waiting outside by the car when Ponyboy came out of the house four and a half minutes later. He was still yawning, but at least he was fully dressed.

"Nice of you to finally join us." his sister joked.

"Will someone please tell me what's happening?" Pony asked. Both Mel and Dal looked at each other before getting in the car. Ponyboy stood confused at the gate. Dally rolled his eyes and stuck his head out of the window.

"Come on kid." he said. "We still have one more stop." Pony sighed and walked over to the car.

"Hey Pony, can you get in the front for me?" Mel asked. He was awake enough to know what he had to do. He nodded and swapped seats with his sister as she and Dal got out of their seats and quietly walked around to the back of the car and started pushing the car. They made it all the way to the end of the block where, for once, it was quite at Johnny's house.

"I'll be back." Dally said. Mel nodded as he got out and walked around the back of the house to Johnny's window. After knocking a couple of times, a sleepy Johnny finally walked over to the window.

"Dal? What's going on?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Come on, get dressed." Dally said.

"Where we going?" Johnny asked.

"Just do it, come on." Dal said. He waited for a few minutes for Johnny to get dressed. Suddenly, a pair of sneakers flew past his head and onto the ground beside him.

"What the..." he didn't finish as Johnny reappeared and started climbing out the window. After helping him out, Dally handed him his shoes and the two headed back to the car.

"Ok...what's going on?" Johnny asked.

"Don't bother asking them," Ponyboy said. "They won't tell you."

"Good boy, you're learning fast." Mel joked. "All you kids need to know is that we're kidnapping you and you can't do anything about it. Now, we've got a long trip ahead of us, so you guys can go to sleep and we'll wake you up when we get there."

"Can we use these blankets?" Johnny asked, finding the blankets that Dal had packed.

"Yeah." Dally said. The boys grabbed a blanket each and settled to go back to sleep. Mel decided to drive the first shift and Dal would take over after a couple of hours. It took about ten hours to get from Tulsa to Galveston. But with the rate that both she and Dally drive, they would get there in no time.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Hey, you two wake up." Mel said, turning off the engine.

"What?" Pony asked.

"Wake up, we're here." Dal said. It had taken them less time than expected to arrive at their destination. The two boys opened their eyes and looked out their windows. In front of them, they couldn't see much since the sun wasn't up yet. Still completely confused, they got out of the car and looked around while Mel and Dal grabbed some things from the back.

"Come on." Mel said. She set up a couple of blankets on the hood of the car. Johnny tried to get a good look around when he could hear something.

"Is that...water?" he asked. Ponyboy looked at him then out at the source of the noice when he realized wher they were. His eyes widened as he turned around to face the other two.

"Are we...are we at the beach?" he asked. Melody grinned and nodded.

"Are you serious?" Johnny asked.

"Well...you wanted so bad to come here...you both can consider this part of your Christmas present." she laughed. For the first time in ages, Johnny smiled and ran over and hugged her.

"Thank you." he whispered quietly. Mel smiled and hugged him back.

"Come on, let's sit up here and we can watch the sunrise." she said. Johnny let go of her and walked back over to the car. Dally and Mel sat with their backs against the windshield with her resting her head on his shoulder and a large blanket wrapped around them to keep them warm. Ponyboy and Johnny sat up front, wrapped up in blankets and watched the sunrise.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Darry got home at about seven the next morning. He was glad to have spent some time with Ginny, he hadn't seen her in a long time because of her working so much. When he got out of the car, Soda, Two-Bit and Steve were just walking up the gate. All of them looked as if they didn't get a wink of sleep. Darry laughed when he got a good look at them. Steve's face was all red and blotchy.

"How come you lot are up this early?" he asked. The three

"How was babysitting?" he wondered.

"I don't know who we were babysitting." Steve started. "Teeny or Two-Bit." Soda shuddered at the memory. He was lucky that he was able to sweet-talk his way out of getting a make-over...but Steve wasn't so lucky. He stupidly fell asleep before everyone else, making him the perfect target for an attack.

"What happened to your face?" Darry questioned. Steve scowled.

"I fell asleep." Steve said before storming into the house.

As soon as he was gone, the other two teens cracked up laughing and explained what had happened to Darry. Steve fell asleep on the couch before everyone else and woke up looking like a drag queen, thanks to Soda, Two-Bit and Teeny. The remaining four greasers laughing their way into the house.

The first thing they noticed, was that it was quiet, and that was never a good sign in their house. They looked around but the house seemed to be empty. They checked the living room, the bedrooms, even outside, but they couldn't find anyone. After looking in the kitchen, Darry was about to head back outside when he saw the note on the bench. After reading it quickly, he shoved the note into his pocket and headed to his room to pack.

"Guys! We're going out."

oOoOoOoOoOo

The others were having a fantastic day at the beach. There was nobody else there that day, meaning that they could do whatever they wanted. They spent the day running in and out of waves, making sandcastles and burying each other in the sand before they had a wonderful picnic lunch that Mel had packed up the night before.

It was now almost five, and Ponyboy and Johnny watched in delight as Dally decided that it would be fun to throw Mel into the water...and he didn't even regret the decision when she decided to chase after him. After a little while of watching, the two boys jumped up and decided to join in the fun.

"This is so unfair!" Melody shouted out as she ran away from the four boys.

"Since when do we wever play fair?" Dal shouted back. He stopped right in front of her. Mel tried to dodge him but he grabbed her hand and pulled her down to the ground with him. Their game was interrupted when they heard a car horn. They turned around and saw the truck parked beside Mel's car.

"Nice of you guys to show up." Mel said, dusting the sand off her legs and shorts. The others brought down the extra food, blankets and everything else that they brought down and sat with the others. Two-Bit, Steve and Soda ran into the waves as fast as they could. It was nearing nightfall, so they wanted to get as much time in the water as possible.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The eight of them had a wonderful day, splashing around in the waves. It was now nightfall, and they were sitting around a bonfire that Darry made, roasting marshmellows.

"This was a great idea Mel." Soda said.

"I know...but don't thank me...it was all Johnny's idea." Mel said, causing Johnny to blush a little.

"Well, best idea you've ever had, Johnnycakes." Steve said, testing his marshmellow...then burnt his finger, making everyone laugh.

"Hey Mel?" Two-Bit wondered. Mel lifted her head from Dal's shoulder and looked up at him.

"Hmm?"

"Can you play something for us?" he asked, shoving another marshmellow into his mouth. Mel smiled.

"I'd love too...but I forgot my guitar." she said. Darry smiled and reached behind him, pulling out her guitar from the pile of blankets beside him. Mel grinned and shook her head as she took the instrument from him and started strumming.

"What do you wanna hear?" she asked.

"Have you got anything new?" Ponyboy wondered. Melody looked at him with her eyebrow raised.

"I've always got something new." she laughed. She thought about it for a moment before she started strumming a beautiful tune.

"I never used to think that I could amount to anything." Mel said. "I doubted myself, especially when I saw everything that you guys were able to do...my brothers included. But a long time ago, someone once told me a story about a catepillar, always wanting to be more than what it was. They told me that eventually one day, the catepillar would be something great. That story has always meant something to me...for many reasons. So, I've used that someone as inspiration... and have now turned their stroy into a song...I hope they don't mind." She said. When she said this, she was looking at one person.

_You tucked me in turn out the lights_

_Kept me safe and sound at night_

_Little girls pepend on things like that_

_Brushed my teeth and combed my hair_

_Had to drive me everywhere_

_You were always there when I looked back_

_You had to do it all alone_

_Make a living make a home_

_Must been as hard as it could be_

It wasn't hard to figure out who the song was about. The others sat quietly around the fire as they continued to listen to Melody play and sing.

_And when I couldnt sleep at night_

_Scared things wouldnt turn out right_

_You would hold my hand and sing to me_

"Yeah, no matter how terrible he was." Steve laughed. Darry leaned over and shoved him, making him fall back onto the sand. Melody laughed and turned to her brother.

"Sing with me Darry?" she asked. "You know the words better than anyone." It was true. Darry wrote that story when he was about ten, and told it to Melody when she needed to believe in herself. But never had he imagined that such his work could be made into such a beautiful song...or that it was he that inspired it. Darry sighed but smiled at his sister before joining in with her.

_Caterpillar in the tree_

_How you wonder who you'd be_

_Can't go far but you can always dream_

_Wish you may and wish you might_

_Don't you worry , hold on tight_

_I promise you there will come a day_

_Butterfly Fly Away_

_Butterfly Fly Away (Butterfly fly away)_

_Got your wings now you cant stay_

_Take those dreams and make them all come true_

_Butterfly Fly Away (Butterfly fly away)_

_you've been waiting for this day_

_All long you know what just to do_

_Butterfly, butterfly, butterfly_

_Butterfly Fly Away_

_Butterfly Fly Away_

_(Butterfly fly away) _

The gang cheered like mad as Melody finished her song. She looked over at her eldest brother, hoping that he didn't mind the fact that he was the inspiration for the song. But then she saw the smile on his face.

_Thank you._ He mouthed silently to her. Melody smiled and nodded her head.

After a little while longer, everyone decided to get some sleep. They set up some blankets and sleeping bags around on the sand and soon fell asleep with the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore, and Melody's song playing in their heads.


	46. Christmas Eve part 1

**A/N: Hola Everyone!! Okay, I had a bit of drama with this chapter. I originally wanted to post one chapter for Christmas Eve with the Gang, then another for Christmas Day. But I was really failing in the ideas department. So, Christmas Eve will be seperated into two parts, and Christmas Day will either be one or two chapters.**

**Also, I wanna thank everyone for their reviews and ideas for the story. I have taken your ideas into consideration, and have used some, as well as tweaked a few to use later on. Hope you Enjoy the chapter! :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own _The Outsiders._ But, I do own Melody, Ginny and Tommy, as well as the plot so far.**

The house was silent...as it should be at two in the morning. Melody was alone in her room, trying to sleep. She hadn't seen Dally since the night before, meaning that he could have been anywhere. But she wasn't worried. It was now Christmas Eve and Dally promised her that he would be back in the morning to spend Christmas with them, like always. Mel tossed and turned, trying to get to sleep. She wasn't sure if it was the excitement because it was almost Christmas, or the fact that she wasn't used to sleeping alone anymore. Either way, there was no chance that she would be betting to sleep anytime soon.

Sighing to herself, she pulled back her bed covers and got up, carefully tiptoing out of her room. She stuck her head out of her door way and listened for any signs of someone else being awake. Not a sound. Mel walked over to the room next door and checked on her brothers, both still fast asleep, with Soda's arm wrapped protectively around Ponyboy. After closing the door, she walked over to Darry's room. All three of his younger siblings had been worried about Darry lately. There had been a lot of problems with Ginny and her Grandmother, which was putting a strain on things. But both she and Tommy were coming over for Christmas, so everyone was hoping that things would get a little better.

Once she was sure that everyone was asleep, Melody made her way into the kitchen. Although, she stopped in the doorway when she got a good look at the couch. Johnny was sprawled out on the couch, trying to get a good night's sleep. Melody sighed to herself. The kid was copping shit at home, even on Christmas.

Silently, she made her way into into the kitchen. She grabbed a large glass of chocolate milk and skulled it quickly, hoping to quench her thirst. She put her empty glass in the sink and wiped her mouth clean with the back of her hand, before she began to head back to her room. As she was about to shut the door, the telephone rang. Sighing to herself, Mel walked over to the phone, wondering who the hell would be calling now.

"Hello?" she answered, whispering as she tried not to wake anoyone up.

_Curtis, glad I caught you. _a familiar voice slurred on the other line.

"Shepard?" she wondered, a little too loudly. She immediatly cringed when she realized how lound she had been. She looked around, checking to see if anyone had woken up, but it didn't seem like it.

"Why the hell are you calling me at two in the morning?"

_We need your help. We got into a bit of trouble._

"I assume by _we_ you mean yourself and Dallas?" Melody asked. This was great. Tim Shepard was drunk and he and Dal had gone and done something incredibly stupid and wanted her to bail them out.

_Yeah._

"Well, hate to disappoint you, Tim. But I'm not bailing you guys out tonight. What ever you did, you're getting out on your own." Mel said. She was about to hang up when Tim's voice got desperate.

_Wait, Melody don't hang up! We're not in jail.... we're at the hopsital._ Melody stopped instantly.

"What?" she asked. And then Tim Shepard uttered those words that she swore she never wanted to hear again.

_...Car accident._

Melody didn't wait to hear about whatever else Shepard had to say. She slammed the phone back down and raced to her room. Not bothering to get changed out of her pyjamas, which consisted of a holey t-shirt and a pair of worn-out pyjama pants that were her brother's, Melody grabbed her shoes and an old jacket of Soda's and flew out the door to her car.

oOoOoOoOoOo

She made it to the hopsital in record time, even for her. As she got out of her car, she saw Shepard standing out the front having a cigarette. She ran as fast as she could across the parking lot to get to him.

"What the hell happened?!" she asked. Tim winced a little at her voice. It was way too early and he had too much of a headache to listen to that tone at the moment.

"Well, we were coming home from Bucks..."

"YOU WERE DRUNK!" Melody screamed. It was more of an accusation than a question. Tim winced once again as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Anyway, and we saw a couple of guys in the next car wanting to race...which was probably not such a good idea."

"You bet your fucking life it wasn't a good idea!" Melody said, shoving him a little.

"Will you let me finish?!" Tim said. Mel rolled her eyes and allowed him to continue.

"Thank you. Well, basically we went off course and hit a tree." Tim concluded.

"You ever pull a stunt like that again...I'll beat the living shit out of you...you got that, Shepard?" Melody warned. Tim nodded

"He's in there." he said lamely as he started walking home. Melody sighed and walked inside the hospital.

Instantly, she felt a chill creeping up her spine, as it did every time she walked into that place. She hated it...too many bad memories. Why would such a place, supposedly meant to help people get better...take so many people away too? It just didn't make any sense to her. Shaking her head of the thoughts, Melody knew it wasn't the right time to ponder the cruelties of life. She had to go find her boyfriend.

"Excuse me," she said as she walked up to the reception desk. "Do you know where I might be able to find Dallas Winston. He was brought in here after an...accident."

There was one question that was burning through her mind at that very moment. The one question that she needed answering above all else...yet couldn't bring herself to ask... _Was he alive?_

"Are you family?" the clerk wondered. _Wait...she couldn't mean..._

"I'm his girlfriend." Mel replied. He voice was shaking as she willed herself to push the thoughts to the back of her head.

"You must be some girl to put up with him." The clerk laughed. Melody let go of her breath and forced a chuckle. _Thank God...he's alive._

"I apologize if he has been difficult." she said. "He's not exactly the nicest patient."

"He's just being examined over there." the clerk said, pointing to a little room on the left. Melody thanked her and headed over to the room. As she got closer, she could hear that Dally was indeed being difficult.

"I keep telling you I'm fine!" he said angrilly. Melody stood in the doorway with her arms crossed against her chest. She watched as Dally sat on the examining table getting checked out, completely oblivious that she was even standing there.

Finally the doctor gave up and left Dally alone, telling him that he was free to go. He passed Mel, who sent him an apologetic look, and left the room.

"Only you could get into a fucking car accident on Christmas." Melody said. Dally looked up at her.

"I...are you wearing your pyjamas?" he wondered. Melody rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Dallas. I'm wearing my pyjamas." she said.

"Why?"

"Because I was woken up at two am by Shepard telling me that you got into a car accident. So I kinda thought that coming to see you was a little more important that getting dressed." Melody said. Dally smiled weakly.

"It was Shepard's fault." he said lamely. Melody walked over to him and sat next to him on the table.

"I know...and I've already threatened to beat the shit outta him for it." she said. Dally laughed a little.

"Are you okay?" Mel wondered. Dally nodded.

"My neck hurts a little and cut my cheek...other than that I'm fine." he said. Melody nodded once and looked to the ground. Dal lifted her chin so that she was looking at him.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded.

"I'm okay, just...scared." she said. Dally nodded and pulled her close to him. He only then realized how she must have felt when Shepard told her about the accident. She had already lost people she loved in one before...how was she to know if it had happened again?

"Come on, let's get outta here." Dally said. Melody nodded and they headed out to her car. When they got home, both Melody and Dally were exhausted, so they fell asleep as soon as they hit the pillow.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Later that morning, Melody woke up once again. Only this time, she had Dallas by her side, his arm wrapped around her waist. She could hear the sounds of her brothers outside her room, yelling and telling another to go and grab a certain box from somewhere.

"Can't get any sleep anywhere! What the hell are they doing out there?" Dal mumbled from beside her. His voice was muffled due to him hiding his face in a pillow.

"Getting things ready." Mel said. "Why we always put the decorations and everything up on Christmas Eve is beyond me."

"That reminds me." Dal said, pulling her closer to him and placing a kiss on her lips. "Merry Christmas."

"It's not Christmas yet." Mel corrected with a laugh. Her face then turned serious for a moment. "How's your neck?"

"It's okay...but I know something that would make it fell better." he said. Melody rolled her eyes and kissed his neck gently.

Dal grinned as she then got out of bed.

"Come on, we should probably get up and help them."

When they left the room, they noticed that there were boxes everywhere. Darry's chair was covered with masses and masses of tangled christmas lights. Ponyboy and Johnny were sitting on the floor, sorting through a large box of decorations. The front door opened and Soda and Darry came inside, carrying a large tree in with them.

"Hey, Hey. Morning Sleeping Beauty" Soda said. "Hey Dal. I didn't know you were here."

"Uhh, yeah. Mel came and got me this morning." Dal said. Ponyboy was about to say something when a loud and out-of-tune voice was heard coming up the steps.

_"JINGLE BELLS, SANTA SMELLS, EASTER'S ON ITS WAY. OH WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE ON A BEAT UP CHEVORLET. HEY!__" _screamed Two-Bit, making his way into the house. "Howdy everybody! How are we all doing this fine Christmas eve?"

"Hey Two-Bit." the others chorused. Two-Bit grinned. He was carrying a thermos in one hand and a plate in the other.

"I bring cookies." he said, placing the plate on the coffee table.

"Did you or your Mom make those?" Soda wondered.

"My mom." Two-Bit answered. Soda's eyes widened and he dived forward to grab one of the sugary treats.

"What's in the thermos?" Dal wondered.

"Homemade Eggnog." Two-Bit said proudly. "Made it myself."

"Oh good. so it's what, 99.99 percent alcohol?" Mel wondered.

"No." Two-Bit said. The others all sent him a look of disbelief. "Only about two thirds of it. It's called Christmas spitit, Melody"

"It's called you being deranged." Mel retorted.

"Hey Two-Bit, why don't you send some of that Christmas spirit over here, huh?" Steve asked. Two-Bit grinned and handed him the thermos. Steve raised the thermos high, as if toasting someone and took a long drink.

"Oh yeah...that's Christmas spirit alright." Steve said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"So, why did you have to go get Dally this morning?" Ponyboy asked.

"Because Shepard thought, at two o'clock in the freaking morning, that it would be fun to crash his car into a fucking tree." Melody said. The others stopped what they were doing immediately and looked at the couple. Soda even dropped the cookie he was eating.

"What?!"

"Uhh...yeah." Dal said, running his hand through his hair. "Nobody was hurt. The car's wrecked, though. Shepard's stuck bumming rides off people till he can steal himself a new car."

"What a way to start Christmas." Two-Bit said. "Dal, you're just lucky that your girlfriend is nice enough to go out and get you at two in the morning."

"Yeah, well if it ever happens again I might not be so nice." Mel said, rolling her eyes. "I might just stay in bed and leave you there."

"You would not." Dal said, pulling her closer to him. Mel grinned wickedly and pulled out of his grasp and turned to her brothers.

"So, is that our tree?" she asked. Darry and Soda set the tree down in the middle of the room.

"Nope, it's our new TV set." Soda said sarcastically.

"Smartass." Mel mumbled.

"No, seriously. I can really picture Two-Bit sitting and watching Mickey on this thing."

"Hey!" Two-Bit cried defensively.

"Alright, that's enough." Darry said. "Let's start decorating."

"Wow, it looks like a nice tree. Where did you find it?" Ponyboy wondered.

"A couple of guys brought a whole bunch of them down to the DX. The Boss said choose whatever one we want. So I thought we should have this one." Soda explained. Mel smiled and patted her twin on the back.

"You chose good, Sodiepop." she said. Once again, the front door opened and Steve walked in, carrying a large box.

"Found this on your doorstep." he said, dropping it on the couch.

"And a Merry Christmas to you too, Stevie." Two-Bit laughed. Steve rolled his eyes, yet grinned anyway.

"Alright. You four," Darry said, pointing to Ponyboy, Johnny and the twins. "Start sorting through those decorations. Dallas, you and Steve can help me untangle these lights."

"And I'll sit here and look pretty." Two-Bit joked.

"Nope, You can start hanging some tinsel around the place." Darry said. Two-Bit's face lit up as he dove into a rather large box of brightly coloured Christmas tinsel.

"Hey, I remember these." Soda said. He held up a couple of hand-made paper snowflakes.

"Oh my god...we were what, four?" Mel wondered. Soda grinned.

"Something like that. I can't believe they kept them." he said.

"You'd be surprised." Darry said. "Mom and Dad kept all sorts of things over the years." The group suddenly was a lot quieter. Two-Bit scanned the room, trying to think of a way to break the silence. His grinned wickedly as he thought of something. He pulled out some spare bits of tinsel and started jumping around the room, throwing tinsel and singing to the tune of _'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen'._

_The restroom door said Gentlemen  
It must have been a gag  
As soon as I walked in there I ran into some old hag  
She sprayed me with a can of mace  
And slapped me with her bag.  
I could tell this just wouldn't be my day  
What can I say?  
It just wasn't turning out to be my day_

He tied a piece of blue tinsel in Melody's hair as he continued to jump around, singing at the top of his lungs. Finally, after everyone as tired of it, Steve stuck his leg out and tripped Two-Bit, making him fall flat on his face. At that moment, everyone seemed to forget about the sadness as the room errupted with laughter.

oOoOoOoOoOo

About an hour or so later...they hadn't gotten very far. Darry, Dally and Steve were still trying to untangle lights. Well, Darry was trying, while yelling at Steve while Dally lit up a cigarette and watched in amusement. Soda and Johnny were sorting through decorations; Ponyboy was fixing up the tinsel that Two-Bit had thrown everywhere, and Mel had mysteriously disappeared.

"So what time's Ginny and Tommy coming over, Dar?" Soda wondered.

"Later this afternoon, I think." Darry said. He stopped suddenly and looked around the room.

"Where's your sister?" he asked. The others looked around the room, only just noticing that she wasn't there. They looked around the room, yet failed to notice her leaving her room and leaning against the wall.

"What are you looking for?" she asked.

"You." Two-Bit said. "Where did you go?"

"I had some last minute wrapping to do." Mel shugged. Steve, Soda and Two-Bit all shared a look before all getting up and heading towards her room.

"You're not gonna find them." Mel said, smirking a little. Soda sighed.

"You hid them in your underwear drawer again." He said. It wasn't a question. Mel smirked and shrugged once again.

"Maybe." she said. Two-Bit shrugged and started towards the room again but Dally pulled him back.

"What the hell?!" he asked. Two-Bit rolled his eyes and shrugged the hand off his arm.

"Oh come on, I wasn't gonna actually look." he said. Dally gave him a look of disbelief and glared at him...before getting an idea.

"Well...that doesn't stop me from trying." he said. He turned to walk into her room when she blocked the doorway.

"Don't even think about it, Winston." she warned. "You're gonna have to wait until tomorrow like everyone else." Dally grinned mischieviously.

"And what if I don't wanna?" he asked, pulling her closer to him. Melody matched his grin and rested her hands on his chest, running her fingers across his shirt seductivly.

"Too bad." she said, shoving him away.

"Yes!" Steve said. The others looked at him.

"Got one end of the lights untangled." he said, holding up the untangled lights.

"Well done, Stevie." Mel said. "Now you've only got about three or four sets to go." The smile on Steve's face vanished immediatly. He swore under his breath as he returned his attention back to the tangled mess.

"Do we even need all these lights?" Ponyboy wondered as he came back into the room, covered in tinsel, courtesy of Two-Bit.

"No, probably not." Darry said. Steve looked up at them then back to the tangled mess in his hands before throwing it out the front door.

"There, problem solved." he said, dusting his hands. The others just laughed at him.

"You know, I think most of those are broken anyway." Soda said.

"Well, if they weren't broken...they are now." Dally said.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Finally, after a good few hours of hard work, the house was decorated. The only thing that was left was the angel on the top of the tree. The usual tradition was that their Dad would lift one of them on to his shoulders and help them put the angel on top, but this year that job fell to Darry. Melody sorted through a box and pulled out a shape wrapped in cloth. Carefully, she unwrapped it, revealing a beautiful antique angel, with golden hair and beautiful gold-painted wings.

"Here you go, Kiddo." she said to her youngest brother. Darry crouched down so that Pony could climb up onto his back. When he was balanced, Ponyboy gently took the ornament from his sister and placed it on the top of the tree.

"We did good." Soda said. The others nodded their heads

"Well, that's definately the best looking tree I've seen in a long time." a voice from the doorway. The group turned around and saw Kathy, Ginny and Tommy standing in the doorway.

"I thought you guys weren't coming over till later?" Darry said, walking over to them.

"Well, this one couldn't wait any longer." Ginny said, pointing to her little brother. Kathy rolled her eyes.

"And this one needed to leave the house." she said, nodding to Ginny. Ginny smiled weakly.

"Well, we're glad you guys are here." Mel smiled.

"Yeah. Hell, we got enough people for a party now." Soda said. His mouth full with yet another cookie. Melody shook her head.

"Well, I'm gonna go get some cooking done." she said.

"Hey Tommy, wanna help make some paper chains to decorate?" Ponyboy wondered. The young boy's face lit up as he nodded his head enthusiastically.

"Why don't you guys finish decorating, then you can help me make some more cookies. It looks like Soda's gonna eat them all." Darry said.

"Hey!"

So Ponyboy, Johnny and Tommy went to get the construction paper for the paper chains. Darry and Ginny sat outside. Steve, Soda, Two-Bit and Steve set up a game of cards, and Mel and Kathy headed to the kitchen to do some cooking.

"Tommy, whatever you do, don't drink out of Two-Bit's thermos, okay?" Kathy called out behind her.


	47. Christmas Eve part 2

**A/N: OMG first update of 2010! I am so sorry that I haven't updated this sooner. I've been away so much over Christmas/New Year and haven't had a chance. By the way, A Very belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all, hope you had a great time.**

**Also, I am now in my second last year of school, and have so much homework to do before school starts back on Monday. So I might not be able to update very often, but I will try my best.**

**I had a fair bit of trouble with this chapter, so instead of it being a continuous chapter, It will be split into various scenes, some longer than others.**

**As a special treat; a thank you to everyone who has stuck by me and this story, and as an apology for my lateness with this chapter, I am going to give you all a special belated Christmas gift. There will be a second A/N down at the end of the chapter. In it, will be a special sneak peek. There will be four quotes that will be in the next couple of chapters. I'm not saying who says them or who they are said to or about, but I thought you might like to see them. PM me with ideas or who you think they're about.**

**Hope you all enjoy the chapter and don't forget to R&R! **

Melody and Kathy were in the kitchen, surrounded by pots and pans and all kinds of ingredients, making sure that everything was ready for dinner that night. Melody collected all the ingredients needed to make a chocolate cake while Kathy was reading over one of the many cookbooks that their mother kept over the years, not that she would need them.

"God, how do women do this every day?" Kathy wondered, letting the book cover close with a slight thud. Melody giggled.

"You're gonna have to be doing this for Two-Bit eventually." She joked before ducking as an oven mit flew towards her.

"Yeah well, I'm only eighteen." Kathy said. "I think I'll wait a little while before that." Melody smiled as she cracked a couple of eggs into the mixing bowl.

"Hey, quit complaining." she said. "Mama was married with a kid at eighteen. She did all this every year with four children and she never..." Then it hit her. It was as if a huge wave of realization crashed into her. It was Christmas. The first without their Mom and Dad. She knew about it of course, but it was as if it never really got through to her until then.

Mel felt her legs go weak as she fell to the kitchen floor. She felt her body start to shake as hot tears fell down her cheeks. Kathy looked down at her and was by her side in a moment.

"Uh oh...Soda!" she called out. Within a matter of seconds, Soda was down on the floor beside her.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I don't know. We were talking about all this cooking and how your Mom..." Kathy said. The two looked at each other, both now knowing what had happened.

"It finally sunk in." Kathy said, as if saying it out loud confirmed it for the two. Soda sighed and nodded. In one swift movement, he scooped his sister up off the floor and carried her into his room while Kathy went to explain to the group of confused people sitting in the living room.

Soda kicked a couple of dirty clothes away from his feet, creating a clear path for him to get over to his bed. Gently, he placed Mel down before sitting beside her.

"W-Why h-have I only realized it n-now?" Melody wondered, struggling to control her sobs. Soda sighed and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to him.

"It's okay." he said, rubbing her arm soothingly. "The same thing happened to us before." Melody looked up at her brother in surprise.

"R-Really?" she wondered. Soda nodded.

"We were out getting the tree when I remembered doing the same thing with Dad and that was it." he said.

"How are we gonna do this, Soda?" Mel wondered. "We barely got through Thanksgiving without them..."

"That's cause Two-Bit got wasted and started taking weird photos with the camera, he helped keep our minds off things." Soda interrupted.

"Still. Christmas is a family holiday, and you know how much they loved Christmas. The tree, the decorations, the dinner. Music, dancing, laughing...we shared it all with them. There are some traditions and other things we can't simply change. How can we do it by ourselves?" Mel asked. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes once more.

"Because they would have wanted us to." Soda said. "They wouldn't want us sitting here crying just because they aren't here anymore. We've all done such a great job on the tree, you and Kathy will make us an amazing dinner...both Mom and Dad would be proud." Melody sighed and nodded. She knew he was right, he usually was. But there was still something that made her feel uneasy about celebrating without them.

"And besides, we're not by ourselves. There are nine other people out there who are family." Soda said. "Now come on, we can do this, can't we?" Melody wiped her nose and nodded. Soda grinned and kissed the side of her head.

"That's my girl." he said. There was a light knock on the door. The two looked up and saw their brothers standing there.

"Everything okay?" Darry wondered. Soda looked at his sister, waiting for her to answer. Melody sighed and wiped away any remaining tears.

"Yeah, we're okay." she said.

"Boy, you should have seen Soda," Pony said teasingly. "He was bawlin' something bad." Soda rolled his eyes and grinned.

"Yeah, thanks Pony." he said, ruffling his little brother's hair. But Ponyboy wasn't done yet.

"No, really. I mean, I thought he was gonna dehydrate from lack of water or something."

"We get it, Ponyboy!" Soda said as he attempted to tackle him. A loud crash was heard from outside, followed by running footsteps. Darry sighed and headed out to the living room, closely followed by Ponyboy. Soda took Mel's hand and squeezed it reassuringly before they all left the room.

When they reached the living room, they saw Two-Bit being chased by Dally across the room. Mel couldn't help but laugh. It suddenly reminded her of that day they all went down to the beach. Dal was resting on the sand for a while when Two-Bit decided it would be fun to, uhh... expand on his chest area. But once Dal had two new additions to his chest, Two-Bit wanted to take it one step further and bury him in the sand. It would have looked good if Dally hadn't woken up just as Two-Bit was working on his feet. Let's just say that Dallas chasing Two-Bit around the beach was one of the funniest things the gang had ever seen...and Mel had the photos to prove it.

Soda looked to Steve and pointed at the two, silently wondering what was going on. But Steve simply shrugged and turned his attention back to the 'show'. It took the pair a good five minutes or so to realize that the twins were now back from the room.

Dal was the first to notice. He saw his girl standing with Soda and stopped abruptly. Two-Bit on the other hand, was a little slower in realizing. He simply thought that Dal had given up chasing him. He looked back to boast when he noticed Melody standing there. What he failed to see was the coffee table right in front of him, causing him to crash into it and fall flat on his face on the floor.

Dal grinned triumphantly as he turned his attention to Mel. He didn't need to say anything, the look was enough. Mel simply nodded her head and smiled, letting him know that she was okay. By now, Two-Bit had finally picked himself up off the floor.

"Well, now all that's over with, I'm heading down to the store. Anyone want anything?" Two-Bit wondered, but he left before he could get a proper answer.

"He's going to the store on Christmas Eve...is he insane?" Ginny wondered, before actually realizing what she had said.

"Don't answer that."

oOoOoOoOoOo

"So, did you get Dally's present done?" Kathy wondered as she was icing one of the cakes they had made. As soon as she was feeling better, Melody and Kathy headed back to the kitchen to continue fixing dinner. Melody nodded.

"Yeah, but the guys almost caught me. They were gonna go sneaking around my room." She said.

"Typical." Kathy laughed. Mel grinned and nodded as she grabbed a pair of oven mitts of the bench. Carefully, she opned the oven and pulled out a tray of fresh cookies.

"Yeah, I just hope he likes it." She said. Kathy rolled her eyes.

"Honey, Dal will love anything you get him." She said. "Hell, he'd probably be happy with a couple of packs of Kools."

"Probably." Mel agreed. They heard the front door slam and knew that Two-Bit had come back.

"I come bearing gifts of cigarettes and gum." He called out.

"He's really handy to have around, sometimes, isn't he?" Kathy joked. Melody grinned and nodded.

"Especially if I get smokes and gum out of it." she laughed.

"Hey guys! Check out the snow!" Soda cried out from the living room. His face was practically glued to the window.

"What?" Melody called out.

"It's snowing!" her twin called out again. The two girls shared a look of disbelief before running into the living room. By now, a few of the others crowded around to see the beautiful white snow that now covered the yard, the street and even Darry's truck and Mel's car.

"Look! It's even covering Greased Lightning!" Soda said. The others, minus the Curtis kids, looked at him as if he was insane.

"What the hell is Greased Lightning?" Dally wondered. Melody rolled her eyes.

"It's the new name he's given to the car…but he usually changes his mind every couple of weeks or so."

"What does it even mean?" Steve wondered.

"We have no idea." Ponyboy said.

"Okay then…on a completely irrelevant subject…how the hell did it snow so fast?" Kathy wondered.

"Who cares?!" Two-Bit added. Melody turned to look at him and noticed that he was wearing one of the DX caps.

"What's with the cap?" she asked. Two-Bit shrugged.

"I reckon I look pretty good." He said. Melody rolled her eyes.

"Dashing." She said dryly. "Where's my gum?"

Without taking his eyes away from the window, Two-Bit reached inside his jacket and handed her three packets of gum.

"Smokes?" Two-Bit did the exact same thing and handed her a packet of cigarettes. Mel smiled and kissed his cheek as she put the packs in her pocket.

"Can we go outside, huh? Can we, can we, can we?" Soda asked, bouncing up and down like a maniac.

"Soda, you're seventeen…do what you want." Darry said, shaking his head. Soda pumped his fist in the air and went to grab his jacket.

Tommy looked over at Ginny who smiled and nodded. The young boy followed Soda's example and pumped his fist in the air before getting his jacket.

"You guys wanna go out for a while?" Ponyboy wondered, slipping his jacket on. Before Dal could object, a loud _pop _was heard and Melody spoke up.

"Sure." She said, continuing to chew her gum. Dally sent her a look or annoyance, wondering if he had to.

"It'll be fun." Mel smiled, obviously enjoying his disappointment.

"Don't be out too long, though." Darry called from the kitchen. Dally raised his eyebrows.

"Oh no," he said. "If I have to go with them… so do you."

"I'm not going out there." Darry insisted. Melody rolled her eyes and walked over to her brother.

"Oh come on, Dar. You used to love going out in the snow with us." She said.

"Yeah, but I gotta get some things done around here." Darry said. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"What has to be done that can't wait an hour or so?" She asked.

Darry sighed and walked to his room to get his coat. Ginny grinned and winked at Melody before grabbing her coat.

"Race you out there!" Two-Bit called out as he raced past the others and ran out the door…closely followed by Steve and Soda.

Before long, the eleven greasers were down at the lot playing in the snow. Mel and Johnny were hiding behind a tree, eyeing Dally carefully as he leaned against another tree smoking. Mel smiled evilly and picked up a large handful of snow. Johnny's eyes widened and he grinned.

'_He's gonna kill you._' he mouthed to her. Mel just shrugged and tossed the snowball at Dally, aiming right at his head.

"Hey!" he said, turning around. Mel was looking away innocently.

"Hey Babe?" he called out. Melody turned to face him. "I'll give you a head start."

Her eyes widened as she pushed past Johnny and ran for her life. Dal grinned as he took off after her. The others stopped and watched as the two ran around the lot. Ponyboy, Johnny and Tommy looked up from their half-built snowman and wandered back to the group.

"Anyone gonna help them?" Ponyboy wondered. They all looked at each other, contemplating the situation.

"Nah!" they chorused as they went back to whatever it was they were doing.

Meanwhile, Dallas had finally caught up with Melody. She stopped running for only a moment when he had her cornered. She tried to run but he cut her off as he picked her up, threw her over his shoulder and carried her over to the nearest tree.

"Uhh, Dal?" Melody wondered.

"Yeah?"

"You can put me down now." She said. Dal grinned as he set her back on her feet. Melody smiled and crossed her arms.

"What?" Dal wondered.

"You're having fun, aren't you?" Mel wondered knowingly. Dal scoffed and mimicked her actions as he crossed his arms and leaned back against the tree.

"Am not." He insisted. Mel laughed.

"You are too! Why is that so hard for you to admit?" She said, wrapping her arms around his neck. Melody grinned and blew a bubble with her gum. Dal sighed and pulled her closer to him.

"It isn't to you." He said as he popped the bubble and stole her gum.

"You're gross." Mel said, scrunching up her face. Dal shrugged as he leaned in and kissed her.

"Okay…maybe I'm having a little fun." He admitted. Melody laughed as he leaned in to kiss her again. Before anything else could happen…the two were attacked.

"Hey, lovebirds!" Steve called out. "You gonna be joining us anytime soon?"

"Probably not." They heard Two-Bit say. "Maybe we should get them again." Dally sighed and turned to Melody.

"Would you have any objection if I go kick their asses?" he wondered.

"Would it make a difference if I said no?" Mel wondered.

"No, probably not." Dal said. Melody grinned and moved out of his way.

"Then, by all means." She said. Dally grinned and kissed her cheek before racing off.

oOoOoOoOoOo

As the others were involved in a huge snowball fight, Darry and Ginny were standing off to the side, staying as far away from the chaos as possible.

"Having fun?" Darry wondered, wrapping his arms around her waist. Ginny smiled and rested her head against his chest.

"Yeah, it's nice to forget about everything else for a while." She said. Darry smiled and turned her around so that she was facing him.

"You know…for some reason, I was starting to think that you had been spending too much time with my sister." He said. Ginny looked at him strangely.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Darry shrugged.

"She's a corrupting influence." He said.

"She's seventeen!" Ginny laughed.

"That's no excuse." Darry said. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Well…I don't think she's gotten to me." She said.

"Good to know." Darry said as he leaned in closer to her. Their lips were mere inches apart when he felt something cold on his face. He backed away as he saw Ginny laughing hysterically as he wiped the snow off his face.

"No, I would have done that anyway." She laughed. And that was it, now all eleven greasers were involved in the fight.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Man, that was the most fun I have had in ages!" Two-Bit exclaimed as he entered the house. Finally, after a few hours, the night air was beginning to settle in, forcing everyone to retreat from the snow and head back inside.

"Even when Darry started chasing you around the lot?" Ponyboy wondered, brushing a clump of snow out of his hair. Two-Bit shrugged his shoulders. Melody grinned and shrugged her coat off. She pulled her hair put of its ponytail and let her long brown curls fall down her back. She ran her hand through it, letting all remaining drips of snow, or what was left of it, to escape.

"Hey Mel, I think those cookies should be cool enough now." Kathy said. Immediately, The three youngest, as well as Two-Bit, looking in their direction.

"Cookies?" Two-Bit wondered. The two girls laughed and nodded.

"Yes, cookies." Kathy said. "But we need some help decorating them."

Immediately Tommy, Ponyboy and Johnny got up and ran into the kitchen. The girls laughed as they followed them. Kathy seperated the cookies into piles for them to decorate while Melody mixed the icing together. In the other room, they could hear the others talking about Christmas presents.

"...We had no idea for what we'd get for Pony." Darry said. Two-Bit, who wasn't paying much attention, suddenly became interested in the conversation.

"Who's getting a pony? I want a pony!" he said childishly. Mel rolled her eyes.

"Nobody's getting a pony!" she called out. "A horse on the other hand..." she said, loud enough for only Johnny to hear. He smiled at her before getting back to the cookies. Suddenly, Mel felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her waist. She smiled and leaned back so her head was resting against his chest.

"You sure you're okay?" Dal whispered in her ear. Melody nodded.

"Yeah, I'm okay." she said. She turned her head to look at him and kissed his cheek.

"Ewwww gross!" Tommy said, making the others laugh.

"Someday you might not mind as much, kiddo." Kathy said. The young boy shook his head.

"No way! Kissing is gross!" he said. Both Melody and Kathy laughed before walking over to him, standing on either side. They bent down to his height and kissed his on the cheek.

"Come on, let's get these decorated." Kathy said. The five of them spent a little while decorating the cookies, while Dally watched from the kitchen bench. Pretty soon they were done. The cookies looked fantastic, but they weren't the only things covered in icing. The countertop, numerous spoons and knives as well as the five in the kitchen. Tommy had gone with the two older boys to get cleaned up and Kathy returned to the living room, leaving Mel and Dal in the kitchen.

"What a mess." Mel said, glancing at the icing that covered her. "I have no idea how that got on my face."

She wandered over to the sink to grab a towel when something stopped her. She smiled as Dal once again pulled her into his arms. She turned around so that she was facing him.

"Careful, I'm covered in icing." she warned. Dal simply shrugged his shoulders and kissed her cheek, getting some of the icing off her face. He kept kissing her, removing all traces of the brightly coloured icing until he reached her lips, where he kissed her passionatley. Mel, forgetting about her sticky hands, wrapped her arms around his neck as he brought her closer to him. She felt herself being lifted up off the ground and being seated on the bench.

Suddenly, Dal flinched and moved away as he felt something hit his head lightly. Moving away from Melody, he looked to the floor, wondering what it was, when he saw a small twig-like thing on the ground. Dal picked it up as he and Mel examined it closely.

"Mistletoe." they both said. They then heard a loud 'smack' coming from the living room.

"Two-Bit, you idiot! You're supposed to hang it up, not throw it at them!"

oOoOoOoOoOo

It was almost dinner time. Ginny, Kathy and Darry were in the kitchen serving everything up. Melody was going around taking weird and candid photos of everyone, while trying to push both Soda and Two-Bit out of the shot. The only problem now, was trying to figure out where to put everyone.

"That's the last of them I think." Steve said, carrying in another couple of chairs from around the back. Since it was Christmas, everyone was going to sit down and eat dinner as a family. The only problem was, their table wasn't big enough for eleven of them, it could only fit eight at the most. So, whoever wanted to sit on chairs could, and the rest could sit somewhere else.

"This is so stupid, why can't we just sit on the floor in the living room or something?" Soda suggested.

"I like that idea." Ponyboy said. Johnny nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, then we're all together." Melody said. "Come on Darry." Darry sighed.

"Okay." he said. Steve rolled his eyes and stalked off, mumbling something about lugging chairs in for no reason. The others looked at each other before rolling their eyes as Mel walked over to the radio and turned it up.

"Alright guys, come and get it!" Kathy called out. The kitchen was a madhouse after that. Eleven hurgry greasers pushing and shoving to get all the good stuff before it was gone. Soda was right though, Kathy and Mel did make a great dinner. There was chicken and vegetables, cakes, cookies, you name it. Two-Bit wandered over to the fridge and pulled out all kinds of drinks. Pepsi for Ponyboy, Johnny, and Soda. Chocolate milk for Tommy and beers for everyone else. When everyone had their food, they went and sat down in the living room.

When they were all settled, Darry opened his beer and held it up high.

"Merry Christmas everyone." he said. Soon everyone else followed.

"Merry Christmas."

oOoOoOoOoOo

It was getting darker now, and the coloured lights on the tree were shining. Everyone had finished dinner and were now kicking back in the living room. The radio was blasting all kinds of Christmas music, and the couches and table had been pushed back so there was enough room for dancing.

Soda, Two-Bit and Steve were pretending they were rockstars, jumping around everywhere, not caring about anything. Kathy had managed to drag Dally up to dance and had now joined the others on the make-shift dancefloor. Melody was sitting in the armchair, busy fiddling with the camera, taking more and more photos. Finally, she decided to take a break. She saw her little brother sitting on the couch watching the others dance. She smiled and got up out of the chair and walked over to him.

"Dance with me." she said, holding out her hand. Ponyboy looked up and smiled. Pulling himself up off the couch, Pony took her hand as another song started. He spun her around as they continued to dance to the music.

After a couple of songs, they stopped. Ponyboy bowed graciously to his sister, thanking her for the dance. Mel giggled as she returned the gesture.

"You guys love your music, don't you?" Johnny asked. Mel shrugged her shoulders.

"What can I say? I wanna be a rockstar." she joked. Tommy sat on the couch with Johnny and yawned. It was almost his bedtime and he knew that if he wasn't asleep, Santa wouldn't visit him, even though Ginny had already warned him that Santa might not be able to be as generous this year.

"Hey Tommy, why don't you go get dressed for bed then we can put out some snacks for Santa and maybe, if you ask her nicely, Mel might play us a song or read you a story." Darry said. Tommy's sleepy eyes widened as much as they could and he jumped up off the couch and headed to Darry's room where his backpack was.

When he came back, Soda and Ponyboy helped him leave out some cookies and milk for Santa before everyone gathered in the living room. Darry and Ginny sat in his chair, Steve, Soda, Kathy and Two-Bit were on the floor. Ponyboy, Tommy and Johnny sat by the couch on the floor and Dal sat with Melody on the couch.

"Alright, what do you want first? Story or song?" Melody wondered.

"Story!" the others chorused. Melody smiled and nodded. Ponyboy reached behind the couch and pulled out a red book with gold lettering. Melody smiled and accepted the book. She was about to get settled when she had an idea.

"I've got a better idea." she said. "Why don't you read it, Darry?" Darry's eyes widened.

"Oh no, it's okay. You go ahead." Darry stammered.

"Please Darry, you tell it so well." Soda said. The others agreed. Darry sighed and smiled as he nodded his head. Melody grinned and handed the book over to him.

"Okay." he said as she opened to the first page.

_'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house  
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;  
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,  
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;  
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,  
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;  
And Mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,  
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap; _

_When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,  
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.  
Away to the window I flew like a flash,  
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.  
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,  
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,  
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,  
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny rein-deer,  
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,  
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.  
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,  
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name; _

_"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!  
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!  
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!  
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"  
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,  
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;  
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,  
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St. Nicholas too.  
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof,  
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. _

_As I drew in my head, and was turning around,  
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.  
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,  
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;  
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,  
And he look'd like a pedlar just opening his pack.  
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!  
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!  
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,  
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow; _

_The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,  
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;  
He had a broad face and a little round belly,  
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlfull of jelly.  
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,  
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;  
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,  
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;  
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,  
And fill'd all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,  
_

_And laying his finger aside of his nose,  
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;  
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,  
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.  
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,  
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night._

"I love that story." Ponyboy said.

"Now will you sing for us, Mel?" Tommy asked.

"I don't know, it's getting pretty late." Mel said, looking at the clock.

"Please!" the others chorused, making her giggle.

"Fine." Mel said, giving in. "I'll sing one song tonight. Tomorrow I'll sing more, okay?" she wondered. The others agreed and Soda handed her her guitar. Mel strummed it quietly while she thought of a song to sing. Finally she thought of one, and a familiar tune filled the room.

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas  
Let your heart be light  
From now on  
Our troubles will be out of sight_

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas  
Make the Yuletide gay  
From now on  
Our troubles will be miles away_

_Here we are as in olden days  
Happy golden days of yore  
Faithful friends who are dear to us  
Gather near to us once more_

_Through the years  
We all will be together  
If the Fates allow (allow)  
Hang a shining star  
Upon the highest bough  
And have yourself  
A merry little Christmas right now_

As she strummed a few extra cords, the room was quieter. Tommy had fallen asleep with his head on Ponyboy's shoulder. Ginny smiled and got up from the armchair. She scooped her little brother up into her arms and carried him to the bed they had made up for him in Soda and Pony's room. When she came back, everyone was being as quiet as they could.

"You guys don't have to worry about waking him up." she said. "He can sleep through anything."

Steve pumped his fist in the air and turned the radio back on before going to get more beer.

oOoOoOoOoOo

It seemed as if the others had been dancing for hours. More photos were taken, losts of laughing and fun...the perfect Christmas Eve. Mel was now finished her dance with Soda. As the song ended, he kissed her hand. The tempo of the music then changed dramatically as a slower song filled the air. Melody was about to head back to the couch when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Standing behind her, were Kathy and Dal.

_I'm dreamin' tonight of a place I love  
Even more then I usually do  
And although I know it's a long road back  
I promise you_

"Maybe you should dance with your girl for a while?" Kathy said to Dal, before going and grabbing Two-Bit to dance with her. Mel looked around and saw that both of the other couples were dancing. Dal grinned as he pulled her close to him and they began dancing.

_I'll be home for Christmas  
You can count on me  
Please have snow and mistletoe  
And presents under the tree  
Christmas Eve will find me  
Where the love light beams  
I'll be home for Christmas  
If only in my dreams_

"So, is it safe to say that you're having fun?" Mel wondered. Dal sighed as he spun her around slowly.

"I guess so." he said. "But don't let anyone else find out." Mel smiled and nodded.

They danced slowly for a while, just happy being with each other, even if that is extremely cheesy. Mel rested her head on his shoulder. The leather of his jacket was cool against her cheek. She smiled to herself as she breathed in his familiar scent; stale tobacco and cigarette smoke, mixed in with the slightest smell of alcohol and some kind of cologne. It was the scent that she had grown to love over time. It was him.

_Christmas Eve will find me  
Where the love light beams  
I'll be home for Christmas  
If only in my dreams  
If only in my dreams_

As the last notes of the song faded away, Dally dipped Melody gently then leaned in and kissed her. The room was abnormally quiet. Probably because all three of the guys had done the same thing to their girls.

oOoOoOoOoOo

A few hours later, everyone was growing more tired. The radio still played on in the background, but nobody was dancing anymore.

"Guys, we're gonna head to bed." Darry said. Ginny had her head resting on his shoulder as she tried to stay awake.

"Yeah, I might head off too." Ponyboy said. "What about you, Johnnycakes?"

"Might as well." Johnny shrugged. They all said goodnight before they started making their way to their rooms, when Darry had a thought.

"No setting fire to the tree." he warned. The six remaining looked at him as if he was mad.

"Oh, come on. As if we're gonna do that." Steve said.

"Two-Bit tried last year." Ponyboy said, rubbing his eyes.

"What?" Ginny wondered. Two-Bit rolled his eyes.

"Emphasis on the word 'tried'." he said. Kathy slapped his arm.

"Were you drunk?!" she wondered. Before Two-Bit could say anything, Soda beat him to it.

"Nope, sober as anything."

"Good God." Kathy said, as she slapped her hand to her forehead. Two-Bit looked at them all helplessly.

"Dally dared me!" he said. Dal's eyes widened as Melody sat upright.

"He what?!"

"Nice going, wiseass." Dal muttered. Melody slapped his arm.

"Why the hell did you dare him to torch our Christmas tree?!" she wondered incredulously. Dally shrugged.

"I didn't know then and I don't know now." he said. Darry simply sighed and headed towards his room.

"No waking people up before 5." he said as he shut the door behind them. Ponyboy and Johnny said goodnight before heading to bed, and Soda and Steve started a new game of cards.

"I can't believe you did that." Melody mumbled. Figuring that the blame was now off him, Two-Bit managed to find the remote among the empty beer cans and started flicking channels to see what was on.

"Wait, go back." Kathy said. Two-Bit flicked back a couple of stations until they arrived at a movie.

"It's a Wonderful Life! I love this movie!" Kathy said. Melody, now forgetting that she was angry at Dal, snuggled closer to him on the couch as they watched the movie.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Mel, wake up." Dal said. The movie was over and Melody had fallen asleep with Dal on the couch. She groaned in annoyance and hid her face in his jacket.

"Mel come on. Let's go to bed." Dal said again. "I can't move unless you get up."

Sighing, Mel dragged herself off the couch. She looked around and saw that they were the only two awake. The credits were rolling on the TV as its light reflected on Kathy and Two-Bit's sleeping faces. Steve had fallen asleep in the arm chair and Soda was nowhere to be seen, so he must have gone to bed. Mel felt Dal wrap his arm around her shoulder as he guided her to her room.

Melody was more awake as they reached her room. She searched the floor for some clean pyjamas but all she could find was a pair of old sweat pants. She silently cursed Darry for doing the washing that morning.

"Here." Dal said. Mel looked over at him, wondering what he was talking about. He slipped his jacket off and placed it on her vanity before taking his shirt off and throwing it to her. Mel smiled in thanks and got changed, ready for bed.

"Can I ask you something?" Dal wondered. Melody poked her head through his shirt and nodded.

"Would you mind if I gave you your present now?" Dal asked. "I know I should give it to you in the morning, but I don't think we're gonna get a moment alone once the sun is up." Melody smiled and nodded.

"I guess that means I can give you yours too?" she asked. Dal grinned and shrugged. Mel walked over to her dresser and fumbled through the wrapped presents before she pulled out a flat, square looking one. She shut the door then sat down on the bed. Dal picked up his jacket and searched until he pulled out a slightly smaller box and sat down beside her.

"You go first." he said. Mel smiled and looked down at her parcel before handing it to him.

"I really had no idea what to get you, so I hope this is okay." she said. "It's alright if you don't like it." Dally looked at it for a moment before he started to unwrap the present. Inside, was a wooden photo frame.

"Darry helped me make the frame." Mel said shyly. Dal couldn't believe it, she had made that for him.

"I thought maybe you could possibly put one of those in there, if you wanted to." Mel said. He was about to ask what she was talking about when something fell out of the paper. Dal noticed that there were a few photos lying on the bed.

The first was taken only a short while ago down at the beach. It showed Dal when he picked her up bridal style and was heading out to the water. Ponyboy just managed to get them to turn around and take the picture before he threw her in the water.

The next was the photo that Soda had taken the night of the dance. Dal couldn't help but smile as he saw them. Melody looked so beautiful that night. The night they got back together. The night he told her that he loved her and that she told him the same.

The third was the one that really surprised Dal. It was taken about five years ago. Dal had just turned thirteen, and Melody was twelve. He was carrying her on his back, giving her a piggyback ride and Mrs. Curtis wanted to capture the moment.

"Mel, I..." Dal said.

"Like I said, I wasn't sure what to get you." Mel said.

"It's perfect." Dal said. "I love it." Mel looked up at him in surprise.

"Really?" she asked. Dal grinned and nodded before kissing her nose.

"Really." he said. He picked up the picture of them together when they were young and started taking off the back of the frame. But then something caught his eye. There was another photo stuck on the back of the last.

"What's this one?" Dal wondered. Melody looked at him confused.

"Huh?" she said.

"There's another photo." Dal said. He pulled the two apart and looked at it for a second.

"That's weird. I only put three in there." Mel said. She had a look at the picture and sighed.

"Two-Bit." she said. The picture was a crooked shot of basically nothing. "Who knows how many werid shots of nothing he has taken." Dal chuckled and was about to throw it away when he realized something.

"Mel, take another look." he said. He handed her the picture again. She scanned the photo, wondering what he was talking about when she saw it.

"Oh my God." she said. "It's the swingset." Turns out, Two-Bit's photo of nothing was actually a picture of the swingset, the very one that held so many memories for Melody and Dal.

"Okay, you're turn." Mel said. Dal looked up at her then remembered that he still needed to give her his present. He picked up the small box off the bed and handed it to her.

"Same rule applies to you." he said. "I didn't know what to get, do if you don't like it or anything, that's cool."

Melody smiled and took the box from his hands. Carefully, she tore off the paper and lifted the lid. Lying inside the box, was a beautiful gold heart locket.

"Oh my god." Mel gasped. "Dal...this..."

"Do you like it?" Dal wondered.

"It's so beautiful." Melody said, still in awe. "It must have cost a fortune."

"I didn't buy it." Dal said, rolling his eyes. Melody grinned.

"Where'd you lift it from then?" she asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Dal said. Mel cocked her head to the side.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I didn't steal it either." Dal said. "It...it was my mother's."

"Your mother's?" Mel wondered. Dal nodded his head.

"You never talk about your mother." she said quietly. Dal shrugged.

"There's not much to tell. Dad walked out on us when I was born. Mom raised me in New York til I was ten then dropped me off here to live with the old bastard. She gave me this, telling me to use it for money or something...but I knew she wanted me to keep it. And now I know why." He explained.

"It's beautiful." Mel repeated.

"Open it." Dal said. Mel looked at him before opening the locket. Inside, was a picture of the two of them.

"I love it...thank you." Mel said. Dal grinned and took the gold chain from her before fastening it around her neck. Mel smiled and kissed him lovingly.

"I love you, Dal." she said.

"I love you too, kid." Dal said. Mel suddenly yawned and the two climbed in under the covers.

"Merry Christmas Mel." Dal said.

"Merry Christmas."

**A/N: Wow, that was a long chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it. A pic of Melody's locket will be put under the '**_**Through Their Eyes**_**' section on my profile, so keep an eye out. Now, here's your special Sneak Peek. Remember to R&R!**

Sneak Peek:

1. "She's gone."

"What do you mean 'she's gone?'"

"She's gone...and she's not coming back."

2. "She's dead."

3. "What can I do to convince you to stay?"

"...Nothing. I can't stay... I don't wanna stay"

4. "....pregnant."


	48. Christmas Day in Tulsa

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm back from the dead...okay not really. So here's Christmas day for the Gang. I had a lot of trouble with this one, trying to come up with ideas then taking them out and changing them. Coming up with presents for a gang full of greasers isn't always easy :P **

**Also, I hope you guys like the letters that I put in here...you'll see what I mean. So please, let me know any ideas or suggestions for future chapters. It will interest you to know that the beginning of the book events will be coming up very shortly, so stay turned. Oh, and I'm glad so many of you are interested in the little Sneak Peek I had last chapter...none of that is in this...but perhaps the next...have you figured it out yet? Let me know...**

**Disclaimer: What a shocker?!?! I still don't own The Outsiders or any of its characters. They belong to S.E Hinton and Francis Ford Coppola. I also don't own the song 'Christmas Don't Be Late' or anything. I do, however, Own Melody, Ginny, Tommy and the plot so far.**

**Enjoy!!**

On Christmas morning, Dally woke up much earlier than planned, due to a sudden nicotine craving. Quietly, he slipped out of Melody's grasp, careful not to wake her, and searched around the room for any signs of a cigarette. He finally found a half-empty box of Kools on Mel's dresser.

He contemplated leaving the room and smoking out on the porch, but he didn't want to risk waking anyone up, seeing how Two-Bit and Kathy were asleep in the living room. But he also knew that Darry hated it when one of them smoked in their rooms.

Figuring that he didn't really care about what Darry thought, Dal brought the cigarette to his lips and wandered over to the bedroom window. He pushed it open, allowing a gentle breeze to fill the room and take away any signs of smoke.

Dal brushed away any remaining traces of snow from the windowsill before sitting down. As he flicked the ash from his cigarette, he looked at Melody, sleeping soundly. He smiled at the sight of her in his shirt. It was a few sizes too big on her, so it slipped off her shoulder slightly. His mother's locket hanging around her neck. Dal couldn't help but grin.

Flicking the cigarette butt into the yard, Dally closed the window quietly and got back into bed, pulling the covers back over Melody and himself. Mel moved around a little bit.

"What time is it?" she wondered sleepily. Her eyes were still focused on rest. Dally shrugged.

"A little after two, maybe." He said.

"Everything okay?" Mel asked. Dal sighed and remembered where they were this time yesterday.

"Yeah, babe. Everything's okay." He said as he pulled her closer to him. "Go back to sleep." Melody yawned and nodded as she rested her head in the crook of his neck.

"Good idea." She said. "Who knows what time they'll wake us up?" She said. Dal grinned and settled back down to sleep.

oOoOoOoOoOo

A little later that morning, Soda was lying in the bedroom floor on a make-shift bed. He was constantly tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable when he his head on the desk.

"Ouch, God damn it!" he muttered angrily as he rubbed the back of his head. He was about to settle down again and go back to sleep when he realized what day it was.

"Oh my god! It's Christmas!" he said, jumping up off the floor. He glanced around the room and noticed that both Ponyboy and Johnny were still asleep. Tommy was on the other side of the room still sleeping too, although he looked as if he was getting a little restless. Soda thought, being Christmas, he would wake them up after...oh, about five minutes. He sat there on the floor, waiting impatiently for time to pass. He heard someone yawning and turned to see that Tommy was now awake.

"Huh? Oh, morning Soda." He said sleepily, scratching his head.

"Morning Tommy!" Soda said brightly. "Merry Christmas!"

At this, the little boy's eyes widened as he jumped to his feet in excitement.

"It's Christmas!" he said, repeating himself over, and over again. Soda couldn't help but laugh, remembering how he used to get that excited too. Hell, he still got that excited.

"I reckon it's been about five minutes." He said. "What do you say, Tommy...wanna wake everyone up?"

Tommy's eyes lit up and he nodded his head. Soda grinned and held up his hand, signalling a countdown. After five, the two of them pounced on the two still asleep.

With the sudden thump on the bed, both Ponyboy and Johnny woke up with a fright. Once their eyes finally adjusted, they noticed Soda and Tommy bouncing on the bed.

"What the hell Soda?!" Pony wondered.

"Get up little brother!" Soda ordered. "It's Christmas!"

"What time is it?" Johnny asked sleepily. Soda shrugged.

"About four maybe." He said. Pony's eyes widened.

"You woke us up at four o'clock in the goddamn morning?! Are you out of your goddamn mind?!" he shouted. Soda opened his mouth to answer but his brother stopped him. "Don't answer that."

"Come on, we gotta go get everyone else up." Soda said, pulling his brother's arm.

"I don't have a death wish." Pony said. "If you wanna go wake everyone else up, be my guest."

"Come on, Pony." Tommy begged. Ponyboy sighed and threw the covers back before dragging himself out of bed. Soda and Tommy high-fived before racing out of the room.

Steve was sprawled out in the arm chair, snoring louder than anything, while Kathy and Two-Bit were curled up together on the floor. Soda walked over to the wall and flicked on the lights. At the sudden brightness, the three greasers groaned and shielded their eyes .Steve woke up suddenly and fell out of the chair, landing with a thud on the ground.

"What the hell, Soda?" he asked. But Soda chose to ignore him.

"Rise and shine everyone!" he said happily. "It's Christmas!!"

"Soda, you turn that goddamn light off right now or I'll kill you." Kathy threatened, hiding her eyes against Two-Bit's chest.

"If I do will you get up?" Soda wondered.

"Possibly...turn them off!" Kathy said. Soda sighed dramatically and turned the lights off.

"Thank you." Kathy said. She turned around and hit Two-Bit's shoulder. "Baby, get up."

"But I don't wanna!" Two-Bit whined.

"Too bad, you gotta." Kathy said. Two-Bit sighed and peeled himself up off the floor. He extended his hand and helped his girlfriend up.

"You should know that what Big Mamma says goes." Soda laughed, calling Kathy her nickname. Kathy smirked. Soda once called her that one time when they were younger because she, like Mel, looked after everyone. After that, it kinda stuck.

"That's how it is for all the girls in this house." Steve said rolling his eyes, earning a slap from Kathy.

"I'm just surprised that Two-Bit actually didn't wanna get up for Christmas." Johnny said. At the slight mention of the word _Christmas,_ Two-Bit was wide awake.

"Christmas!" he said, pumping his fist into the air.

"Please...don't tell me you forgot that it was Christmas?" Ponyboy said. Two-Bit scratched his head, causing the others to laugh at him.

"Hey, it's early, we partied waaay too much last night...don't judge." He said defensively.

"Alright. Ponyboy, you, Tommy and Soda go and get Darry and Ginny." Kathy said. "Steve, Two-Bit and Johnny, you three go get Mel and Dally."

"What are you gonna do?" Steve asked.

"Make coffee." Kathy shrugged before disappearing into the kitchen. The others shrugged and headed off to wake up their...victims.

As the boys were about to open Mel's door, they saw the others head into Darry's room. As quietly as they could, they closed the door behind them. They looked over at the bed and saw both Darry and Ginny sleeping peacefully. Soda held up his hand, silently counting to three. On the last count, the three the three of them raced towards the bed, landing on it with a thud. Both Ginny and Darry were up in an instant.

"What the hell?!" Darry asked. When he looked up and saw three beaming faces looking down at him, he sighed in frustration.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" The three intruders chorused.

"I thought the rule was no waking up before five." Darry groaned.

"It's after five." Soda said. Darry looked at him in disbelief.

"What is it, five-o-one?" he asked. Soda shook his head.

"No, five-o-three." He said. Darry rolled his eyes.

"Oh, well so sorry to keep you waiting." He said sarcastically. Ginny laughed and hugged her little brother tightly.

"Who else is up?" she asked.

"Kathy's making coffee and Steve, Johnny and Two-Bit are going to wake Mel and Dally." Ponyboy said. Darry couldn't help but laugh.

"Good luck to them." He said as he threw the covers back. "I need coffee."

The other four laughed at him before they all left the room. Darry headed straight to the kitchen where Kathy had a hot cup of coffee waiting for him.

"Lifesaver, you really are." He said. Kathy smiled and handed him his cup before giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas." She said. "Enjoy your wake up call?" Darry rolled his eyes and sat down at the table.

"Oh yeah." He said sarcastically. Ginny came in and grabbed a cup of coffee before sitting down beside him. Darry smiled and kissed her cheek before he returned his full attention to his beloved cup of coffee.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Quietly, the other three boys opened Mel's bedroom door and tiptoed inside. They found Mel and Dally asleep in each others arms. Now all they had to do was think about how to wake Mel and Dally up and still live to see the end of the day.

"Well, jumping on them seems very childish and is a great health risk." Johnny said.

"What, to them?" Steve wondered. Johnny shook his head.

"No to us." Johnny clarified. Steve and Two-Bit nodded their heads in understanding. After a moment or two, Two-Bit shrugged.

"Who cares, it's more fun that way." He said. After another few moments of deliberation, they decided that Two-Bit was right, not that they would ever say that to his face, and counted to three. On the third count, they jumped on the bed.

"What the fuck?!" Dally said as he opened his eyes. At seeing the three on the bed, he groaned in frustration, kicked Steve off the bed, and turned around to go back to sleep again. Two-Bit, who was now lying beside Melody, turned on his side and smiled at her.

"Merry Christmas, Babe." He said. Mel rolled her eyes and grinned.

"Merry Christmas, idiot." She said. "Now can we go back to sleep?" Steve shook his head as he climbed up off the floor.

"No can do, babe." He said. "It's Christmas. Now get your skinny ass out of bed. Everyone else is already up."

"Alright, alright. Just give us five minutes, okay?" Mel asked. Two-Bit and Steve were about to protest but Johnny convinced them to go and they left the room. Mel couldn't help laughing a little.

"Good they're gone." Dally mumbled, pulling her closer to him. Melody sighed and kissed him.

"Merry Christmas Dal." She said.

"It would be if we could stay here all day." Dal said. Mel laughed.

"If only." She said. "But we gotta get up. Come on."

"_I _don't gotta get up." Dal said. "They're your family." Melody smiled and kissed him once more.

"They're yours by default." She said. "And I'm pretty sure if we don't get up, Darry might go on a Christmas Day murder rampage." Dally sighed in annoyance and sat up. Melody smiled victoriously before she dragged her boyfriend out of bed.

Running his hand through his hair, Dally yawned before taking her hand and walking over to the door. He opened it and bowed mockingly.

"Ladies first." He said. Melody rolled her eyes.

"You just want an excuse to look at my ass." She said. Dal shrugged.

"Maybe...but I really don't need an excuse." He said. Melody rolled her eyes and playfully slapped him.

"Pig." She said. She went to move past him but Dal grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him, pulling her into a kiss.

"Melody Jean Curtis you get your butt out here right now!" Darry called out. Mel broke away from Dally and laughed. Dal sighed.

"Your brother has eyes in the back of his head." He said. Mel laughed again and took his hand as they went out into the living room. Music was already playing thanks to Steve who, with or without Darry's permission, turned the radio on. He, Two-Bit and Soda were all lounging around on the floor by the Christmas tree, trying to pass the time by shaking the presents around.

"Why the hell is there a whole six pack of Bud there...please tell me that's mine!!" Two-Bit said.

"Merry Christmas family!" Melody shouted. Her sudden outburst caused the three by the tree to jump about six feet into the air, causing everyone to laugh hysterically.

"Things never change."Mel said, trying to catch her breath. "You three are still sneaking around the tree like you were five years old."

"Finally decided to get out of bed?" Soda asked, getting up off the floor. Melody nodded and left Dally's side so she could jump on her twin's back. Soda laughed and picked her up.

"Merry Christmas, Sodiepop!" she said, kissing his cheek. Soda grinned and they sat down on the couch with Dally.

A few moments later, the other boys came inside and more Christmas greetings and hugs were exchanged.

"So, can we open presents now?!" Two-Bit asked.

"Who said you're getting anything?" Steve wondered. Two-Bit stuck his tongue out at him maturely. Kathy, Ginny and Darry came in carrying cups of hot chocolate and some chocolate cake for breakfast.

"Alright, I guess we can open presents now." Darry said. Everyone got a drink and a slice of cake before all sitting around the Christmas tree. Darry sat in his arm chair with Ginny sitting on the arm. Johnny, Ponyboy and Tommy sat on the couch with Mel and Dally sitting on the floor by their feet. Steve, Soda and Kathy were sitting on the floor by the tree.

"Oh! Can I play Santa?" Two-Bit asked. The others sighed and agreed.

"Melody Jean Curtis, what is that gorgeous piece of finery around your neck?!" Kathy asked, noticing the locket for the first time. Melody smiled and fiddled with her locket.

"Me and Dal exchanged gifts last night." She said. Kathy looked impressed.

"Sure, _exchanging gifts._" Steve laughed, earning himself a slap from Kathy and Soda. Melody couldn't help laughing once again.

"Oh, Soda?" she asked. Her twin turned around and looked at her.

"Yeah?"

"You're gonna have to wait a little for one of your presents, okay?" she asked. Soda looked at her confused but agreed anyway.

"Alright!" Two-Bit said. He closed his eyes and reached underneath the tree for a present. After a moment he picked one.

"Ponyboy, from Mel, Darry and Soda." He said, about to throw the boy his present.

"Don't throw it!" Soda said. Two-Bit sulked and handed Ponyboy his gift. Pony smiled as he ripped the paper off and looked at his brand new set of art pencils and new notebook.

"We knew your other set was...kinda old." Soda said. Ponyboy grinned.

"Wow, they're great. Thanks guys." He beamed. He also got a few new books from the gang that he had had his eye on for a while now. Two-Bit reached under the tree again and pulled out a small gift.

"To Kathy; from your incredibly handsome and amazing boyfriend." He said. Kathy grinned and moved forward and got her present.

"Awww Steve, you didn't have to get me anything." She said, kissing his cheek. The look on Two-Bit's face was completely priceless. The entire room couldn't help laughing at him. Kathy giggled and scooted closer to Two-Bit.

"Aw, I'm sorry honey. You know I'm only kidding." She said. This calmed Two-Bit down enough for her to finish opening her present. As she tore the wrapping paper away, she opened the box and gasped. Inside, was a beautiful silver padlock bracelet. The chain around it was made up of little silver clovers.

"Oh my god." She said. Mel grinned and looked over at Two-Bit, who was smiling proudly. Kathy looked up at her boyfriend.

"Where did you get this?" she wondered.

"I have my ways." He said slyly. Kathy raised her eyebrow and looked at Mel for conformation. But she simply sent her a look saying "_don't ask"._

"I love it." Kathy said, kissing Two-Bit's cheek. He helped her put it on before getting back to the presents.

"To Superman, with love; Mel, Soda and Ponyboy." He said. Inside the package, were a couple of new shirts and some framed pictures of his family and the gang when they were little, which got a few laughs from everyone.

"Oh my god, were we really that little?" Steve asked. It was hard to believe that they were once that small. Back then the world was a slightly happier place...but it was Christmas, and none of them were going to think like that today.

From Ginny, he got something that resembled a high-school year book, filled with old photos from when they were at school.

From the Gang, Darry got a new tool belt. The one he was using now belonged to his father, but it was getting pretty old.

"We thought you might like this...so that the one you're using doesn't have to fall apart, and you can still keep it." Kathy said. Darry looked up at them and smiled.

"Thank you guys, so much." He said.

Steve got a new crowbar from Mel, Dal and Soda. Two-Bit gave him some other new tools, which Steve was thankful for since he was responsible for his last lot that broke. He also got some auto magazines and hair grease from the others.

"To Johnnycakes, from all of us." Two-Bit said, handing Johnny his gift.

After the incident in the lot, the gang decided to get Johnny a new jacket. It was exactly like his old one, only cleaner, warmer and it fit better [after all, he had been wearing the same jacket for years.]

"Wow, thanks guys." he said quietly.

Ginny was given some clothes and Darry's old school ring, him being the gentleman he was.

Tommy's gift was easy to get. He got some new colouring books that he had wanted for ages.

Dally got a brand new Zippo lighter from the guys. Darry knew a guy who did engraving and managed to get his name on it. Right on the side of it, was a little funny shaped line, which he had no idea what it was. Needless to say though, he was quite impressed...so much in fact, that he used it straight away.

Mel instantly fell in love with it and was so surprised when she was given one of her own Darry got a similar one to Dally's. The guys also got one for Ponyboy, but they didn't have to tell anyone about that just yet.

"What's this little thing here on the side?" Dal asked. Kathy and Ginny grinned at one another.

"That was our idea." Ginny said. "Put yours and Dal's side-by-side."

Mel and Dal looked at each other confused but took their lighters and put them side by side. Their names were still on each, but in the middle where the two joined, was a heart.

"That's actually kinda cool." Mel said. Dal shrugged his shoulders indifferently, but gave a subtle wink to Mel, letting her know he thought the same thing.

Mel also got a couple of shirts, a new pair of sneakers, a book and some new notebooks for her lyrics, seeing how the others were almost falling apart.

Soda got a couple of new records, some new shirts, and some hair gell. He thought he got a pretty god haul...but he still had to wait for his main present to come. Two-Bit sighed impatiently, he was the only one without anything.

"For Two-Bit...YAY!" Two-Bit said happily. Steve sighed and pushed the six pack closer to him.

"Merry Christmas Two-Bit." He said. Two-Bit sighed dramatically and held the bud close to his chest as he pretended to wipe away an invisible tear.

"You guys are the greatest, I don't know what to say." He said.

"You still have more presents." Soda laughed. Two-Bit's eyes widened as he grabbed the remaining present.

For Two-Bit, presents were usually easy. Just get him something with Mickey Mouse on it or that was at lease one fifth alcohol and he'd be set. This year he got a new Mickey shirt, a pair of Mickey Mouse ears which he put on instantly, and a little Mickey stuffed toy. His eyes lit up as soon as he saw it.

"Oh my god! This is the tuffest thing I have ever seen!" he said, hugging the doll close to his chest. Kathy rolled her eyes.

"I'm dating a goddamn two year old." She muttered under her breath.

"Hey, what's that under the tree?" Ponyboy asked. The others didn't know what he was talking about, hadn't he already gone through all the gifts? Soda leaned forward and pulled out a stack of envelopes.

"They're Christmas cards." He said, shuffling through them. "There's one for each of us."

He checked the names and handed them out. Everyone shared the same look of confusion, wondering who the cards were from.

"What's that one?" Johnny asked, pointing to the last envelope in his hands.

"I don't know. It says _'Open and read aloud.'..._whatever that means." He said. Darry held his hand out, silently asking for the letter. Soda passed it to Kathy, who passed it to Steve, who passed it to Ginny and finally Darry.

"Are you sure you haven't seen these before Darry?" Mel asked, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. Darry shook his head. Suddenly, it clicked.

"Wait a minute." He said. "I know that writing." The others looked at it more closely.

"It's Mom's." Ponyboy said. Everyone sat in silence for a moment, just staring at the envelopes in their hands. Ponyboy looked at his and noticed that there was more than a card inside. He decided to take a proper look at it later on.

"Read this one." Ginny said, pointing to the last letter. Darry sighed and opened the envelope. He cleared his throat and started to read.

_To our beautiful family,_

_Yes, I mean all of you. First of all, merry Christmas to each and every one of you. I honestly don't know why I'm writing this now, you all have your individual cards for Christmas day, each with a message for all of you... but while you're all at school or work, or in Two-Bit and Dally's case, doing something that will more than likely cause me grey hairs, _

Everyone couldn't help laughing at that point. Mrs. Curtis defiantly knew them all too well.

_I thought I would sit down and write you a letter...just make sure I'm not in the room on Christmas when you read it out loud. For some strange reason, I have this thing for writing letters at the moment...so that's what I've done. I have written a few different letters, for each of you for different reasons, and I want you to read them when they say to. In case I can't remember where they are...there is a large box in the top of our closet. Don't ask me why, because I ain't gonna tell you...it's just something you have to trust me on. And don't you back talk me, Steven Randle, I know I've taught you better than that._

The entire room froze then and looked at Steve, whose mouth was open ready to come up with some smart ass response.

"How the hell...?" he asked. Darry rolled his eyes and continued reading the letter.

_So, I'm not really sure what else to say here. I should probably get back to making dinner before all of you come home. You're father's just come home from work and wants to say something..._

_Merry Christmas to all you hoods! Make sure everyone's having a great time and, Mel, make sure the music is loud, babydoll._

"Will do, daddy." Mel smiled.

_...and Two-Bit, no trying to set fire to the tree this year..._

"Dally dared me!" Two-Bit cried out in defence.

_We don't care if Dallas dared you or not...no fire...at least not without me._

_Anyways, I guess we'll leave it at that._

_Love you all so much_

_Mom _

_...and Dad. Xoxoxo_

The entire room was silent as Darry folded up the letter and wiped the tears from his face. Whether they were going to admit it or not, everyone was shocked and saddened by the letter and the revelation that there was an entire box waiting for them.

Melody wiped the tears away from her eyes, only to have them replaced by new ones. She turned around and hid her face against Dally's chest. Dal, still in shock himself, wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Breaking the silence, Kathy raised her almost empty coffee cup.

"Merry Christmas, Mr. and Mrs C." She said, charging her cup. Everyone else smiled and followed suit. Melody peaked out from Dal's shoulder and sighed.

"Merry Christmas Mama and Daddy." She whispered.

oOoOoOoOoOo

After a while, everyone's spirits picked up and everyone was happy. Music was blasting since early this morning, mad photos were taken, as usual. They had so much food left over from the night before, so they didn't run out. They had beer, they had music and they were all together...everyone was having a great time.

"Hey Mel, why don't you play us something?" Johnny asked. Mel grinned and nodded. Ponyboy grabbed her guitar from beside the piano and handed it to her.

"What do you guys wanna hear?" She asked.

"Hey, do you guys remember that song that Dad taught us one time." Soda wondered. "The chipmunk one?"

"Oh my god!" Ponyboy said. "And we spent like three whole days trying to teach it to you guys."

"Hell, I remember that little routine that you three put on." Mel said, pointing to her twin, Steve and Two-Bit.

"Oh yeah, that was tuff." Dally said, rolling his eyes. Kathy suddenly got an evil look in her eyes as she grinned wickedly.

"I dare you guys to do it now." She said. The three in question looked at her as if she was mad.

"You're kidding...right?" Steve wondered. Kathy shook her head.

"Nope." She said. "I bet you guys aren't manly enough for it."

"I'm manly enough!" Two-Bit insisted.

"Prove it." Kathy teased. Two-Bit sighed and turned to the other two. Soda shrugged his shoulders and agreed, while Steve was totally against it.

"No chance." He said. Mel sighed and made chicken noises.

"What was that, Curtis?" Steve asked. Mel shrugged.

"Nothing, just implying that you are a chicken." She said. Steve groaned in frustration.

"Fine I'll do the goddamned song." He said. "You're just lucky that I'm cool enough to do it."

"Whatever you say, Steve." Darry laughed. Everyone moved back to give the three some room. Soda, Steve and Two-Bit turned around to face the back wall. Mel grinned and picked up her guitar and started strumming it

"Alright you chipmunks, ready to sing your song?" she asked.

"I'd say we are." Soda said.

"Yeah, Lets sing it now!" Two-Bit added.

"Okay, Simon?" Mel wondered. Soda turned around and smiled.

"OK."

"Okay, Theodore?"She said smiling. Steve regrettable turned around. He pretended to look like he wasn't enjoying himself...but they all knew that he was.

"OK."

"Okay Alvin?...Alvin?...ALVIN!!!" Mel screamed, making everyone else laugh. Two-Bit jumped around and grinned.

"OKAY!!"

_Christmas, Christmas time is near,  
Time for toys and time for cheer.  
We've been good, but we can't last,  
Hurry Christmas, Hurry fast._

The three of them began dancing and prancing around the room, making everyone else laugh harder. Mel had to try her best to concentrate on playing.

_Want a plane that loops the loop,  
Me, I want a Hula-Hoop._

_We can hardly stand the wait,  
Please Christmas don't be late._

"Ok Fellas, Get ready. That was very good, Soda." Mel praised.

"Naturally!"

"Very Good Steve...Uh Two-Bit, You were a little flat, So, watch it, Two-Bit...Two-Bit?...TWO-BIT!!!"

"OKAY!!"

Want a plane that loops the loop,  
still want a Hula-Hoop.  
We can hardly stand the wait,  
Please Christmas don't be late.  
We can hardly stand the wait,  
Please Christmas don't be late.

When they were done, everyone started cheering like mad for them. The three performers took a bow and blew kisses into the crowd mockingly before sitting back down.

"Well...I guess you are manly enough." Kathy laughed. Two-Bit sat down beside her and pulled her close.

"Don't you ever forget it." he said.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Melody checked the clock a few hours later and realized that it was time. She walked over to Darry and told him what was going on. After he agreed she turned down the music. Everyone stopped immediately.

"What happened to the tunes?" Steve asked. Mel rolled her eyes.

"Oh settle down, Stevie. We can go five minutes without you singing along terribly." She said. She looked over at Johnny and winked. He smiled, knowing what was going on.

"Well, if you all don't mind, Soda and I have somewhere to be." She said. Soda looked at her strangely.

"We do?" he asked. Mel nodded. "What about the party?"

"Relax, we'll be back in an hour or so...we're going to get your Christmas present."

Soda's eyes widened as he raced to get his shoes and jacket. Mel couldn't help but laugh as she grabbed the car keys and headed out the door. They left the house listening to Ponyboy getting on the piano and starting to play Deck the Halls.

"Does this have anything to do with where you have been hanging out lately?" Soda asked as he got into the car. Mel shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Mel pulled up at Buck's stables and watched her brother look around, trying to figure everything out.

"Buck's stables?" he asked. Mel nodded.

"Yep." She said.

"So this is where you've been hanging around lately?" Soda wondered. Once again, Mel nodded.

"Yeah, I've been helping buck out around here for a while." She said.

"How come?" Soda asked, still as confused as he was before. But Mel only grinned evilly.

"You'll see." She said. The two walked up the drive and over to the stables. Mel could see that Soda had mixed emotions. He seemed to be glad to be back around horses, but it was clear that it brought back painful memories for him...something that she could hopefully fix.

They walked for a little while before they reached the stall they were looking for. Melody smiled and nodded for Soda to go closer. Soda sighed and walked over to the stall. He looked at what horse was inside and his eyes grew wide.

The resemblance was uncanny...it was almost as if it was him...but it couldn't be...could it? He told himself not to get his hopes up, knowing that it was impossible. But just to be sure, he checked the name on the stall.

_Mickey Mouse._

It _was _him.

Soda spun around and looked at his sister with wide eyes.

"Is it really him?" he asked. Melody smiled and nodded. Soda ran up and hugged her tightly. Mel laughed as he spun her around, feeling glad to know that she had a part in his happiness.

"But...how?" he asked, finally setting her back on her feet. Melody shrugged and rested her arms against the stall door.

"Buck was the one who bought him." She said. Soda looked at her in shock as he walked over and did the same.

"So he's Buck's?" he asked. Melody shrugged once again.

"Was." She said. Soda was confused.

"Was? What do you mean, was?" he asked. Then realization dawned on him. "He didn't get sold again did he?"

"Not exactly." Mel said.

"Okay you've really lost me." He said. Melody took a deep breath and smiled.

"He...he's yours." She said. Soda looked at her as if she had grown another head.

"Dorky little sister say what?" he said. Melody laughed.

"I went to Buck's one day and asked him if I could come here to think of what Christmas present to get you...you're not exactly the easiest person to buy for." She laughed. Soda shrugged and nodded, urging her to continue.

"We took a drive up here and that's when I saw him. I couldn't believe that Buck was the one who bought him all that time ago. I went over to him and was completely shocked that he remembered me. Buck was just as impressed and wondered how we knew each other. I explained everything about you and Mickey Mouse and all that jazz. Buck told me that I should bring you up here so that you could see him, but I said no." Mel explained.

"Why?" soda asked.

"Because I remember how hard it was last time for you to say goodbye." She said. "I knew that if you two saw each other again, it would be hard for you two to say goodbye. So that brings me to how this all happened."

"Which is...?"

"I've been working here and in return, buck's giving me MM...And I'm giving him to you for your Christmas present." She said. Soda smiled and pulled his twin into a hug.

"You are so amazing, you know that?" He asked. Melody shrugged her shoulders.

"I know." She said. Soda laughed and looked over at the horse that was now his.

"Can I...?" he asked hopefully, nodding towards Mickey Mouse. Mel laughed and nodded.

"Of course you can! He's your horse." She smiled. Soda beamed hearing that.

"I like the sound of that." He said as he went inside the stalls. As the door opened, the horse looked up, wondering who was there. When he saw Soda, he walked over. He laughed as Mickey Mouse playfully nipped at his sleeve before nuzzling against him.

"Hey buddy." He said. Mel couldn't help but smile at the sight of two old friends reuniting.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Christmas eve, 1964 was a hit. Loud music, lots of food and fun, candid photos and all that...it was a typical party.

When Soda and Mel got back from the stables, the music was blasting once more and there was yelling coming from inside the house. They headed inside to see what was happening and could stop laughing as they watched Tommy beat Steve in an arm wrestle.

Mel got her guitar out and they sang so many Christmas carols and other songs, including some of her own repertoire, with pony accompanying on the piano sometimes and the others singing along. They all danced around and laughed and watched as Two-Bit got chased around the house some more...it was the perfect day.

Eventually, Two-Bit and Kathy had to go over to his house for dinner with Lynn and Teeny, and Ginny and Tommy had to go home to their grandmother. Johnny went home for a while, promising the others that he would be back if anything happened. Steve and Dally decided to walk him home just in case before heading over to Bucks, not wanting to spend the rest of Christmas at home.

"You'll be back?" Mel asked Dal. He simply grinned.

"Probably." He said. Mel smiled and kissed him goodbye before he, Steve and Johnny left, leaving the Curtis kids alone.

The four of them were lounging around in the living room after a full-on day. Mel was lounging on the couch with her book, resting her feet on Soda's lap and Pony was doing some sketching with his new pencils when he remembered something. He pulled out his card from his parents and opened it, pulling out another bit of paper.

"What's that?" Mel asked.

"I think it's a letter from Mom and Dad." He said. Mel closed her book and pulled out the card she was using as a bookmark and checked it. She had one too.

"I've got one too." She said. "Hey Darry?!" Darry came in from the kitchen drying his hands on a towel.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Did you get an extra letter in your card?" Soda asked. Darry looked at them confused before going to check his card.

"Yeah, I do." He said. The four of them sat there, looking at the letters in their hands.

"What do you think they say?" Pony wondered.

"Well," Darry said. "Only one way to find out."

**A/N2: AWWW!!!! How could I leave it there...oh well :P Please let me know your thoughts and ideas about this. Also, a link to a picture of Kathy's bracelet is on my profile under well, 'Through Their Eyes.'**

**Stay Tuned :)**


	49. Tomorrow

**A/N: Hey everyone! I am so sorry that I haven't updated sooner, but I've had a lot going on at the moment. So I hope that this chapter might make up for it a little. I was having a lot of trouble with the letters, so I decided just to try writing one. If by any chance you want to see the others, just let me know and I'll see what I can come up with. The letter that I've actually written is definitely not my best work, but I feel that it's something that Mr and Mrs Curtis would have said.**

**Also, I just wanna say how amazed I am at how many alerts I have had for people adding this to their alerts and favourites. A huge thank you to everyone. You don't know how much that means to me to know that there are actually people that enjoy my work. :] **

**So, please enjoy this chapter and please, if you can, leave a review and let me know your thoughts.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders or anything related. It all belongs to SE Hinton and Francis Ford Coppola. I only own Melody and any other character you don't recognize, as well as the plot so far. I also don't own the song 'Tomorrow Reprise', that's from Annie. But I did change some of the lyrics to suit the story.**

The four Curtis' sat there, each with an envelope in their hands. They just sat there, staring at them; not one of them game enough to be the first to open it. This was the last piece of communication they would ever have with their parents. Finally, Darry broke the silence with a sigh.

"How about we read them separately?" he suggested. His siblings could only nod.

One by one, they each moved from their spots. Ponyboy went out and sat on the front porch. Sodapop went to his room. Darry sat down at the kitchen table, and Melody sombrely walked into her room and sat down on the bed. She placed the envelope on the bed in front of her.

It was if the letter was just staring right back at her, tormenting her. Something so simple as a familiar handwriting sent chills down her spine. Mel wasn't even entirely sure that she wanted to open it.

If she did, it would only point out the fact that her parents were no longer here, which was something that she was reminded of every day. If she refused, and kept it sealed, she would have a sort of reminder. But she knew deep down that she wanted to know the last words that her mother and father had written to her.

After arguing with herself constantly, Mel decided that she couldn't do it. She put the letter on her bedside table, letting out a deep breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding. Mel put the taunting letter down onto her bed, got to her feet and left her room.

When she arrived in the kitchen, she found her eldest brother staring at his letter. Mel wandered over to the sink, where a few dirty dishes were waiting to be cleaned and put away again. Maybe it would keep her mind of the letter, if only for a little while. As she moved to the sink, Darry finally noticed that she was there.

"Oh, hey." he said, folding the letter back into the envelope. "You read your letter?"

Melody shook her head silently before reaching under the sink for the washing detergent. Darry looked at her confused.

"Why not?" he asked. Melody shrugged.

"I couldn't." she said cryptically.

"What do you mean?" Darry asked.

"I just couldn't do it, Darry. This is the last thing that Mom and Dad will ever write to us. I don't think I can read it." Mel said. Darry sighed.

"Don't you want to read it?" he asked. Melody shrugged as she scrubbed the grease of a frying pan.

"I don't know." she said honestly. "Part of me wants to. But the other part is telling me not to do it. Because I know if I do, it'll only emphasize the fact that they're not here anymore. If I don't read it...I'll always have a reminder of them." By now, Mel was scrubbing the frying pan so hard, Darry honestly thought she was going to snap it in half.

"Will you quit it, the frying pan is clean. Scrub any harder and you'll break it in two!" he said Mel let out a shaky breath and put the pan on the bench to dry. Darry sighed and got up from the table. He walked over and stood in front of his sister. Mel couldn't take it anymore. She dropped the dishcloth into the sink and wrapped her arms around her brother.

"You not reading it is not going to prolong the pain, you know that right?" he asked her. Melody nodded against his chest.

"Hell, don't I know it. But it won't hurt to try." she said quietly. Darry knew that that wasn't true. It would more than likely do her more harm than good. But he knew his baby sister was far too headstrong and stubborn to listen, even if he told her so. Although, deep down, Darry knew that eventually curiosity would get the better of her and she would read her letter.

"Well, it's up to you." Darry said. He rubbed his sister's shoulder reassuringly before heading into the living room to relax. Mel stood in the kitchen, alone with her thoughts. She knew her brother was right...although she would never admit it. There was just the pain of knowing that if she read it, it would only emphasize the fact that she was an orphan.

Sighing to herself, Melody finished the dishes and headed back into her room, kicking the door shut with her foot. The letter was still where she left it; resting on her bedside table as if it was tormenting her once again. The other guys had no doubt been able to read their letters...just like her brothers. So why couldn't she?

"I'm going to read it. I'm going to read it." Mel repeated to herself over and over.

Finally, and before she could change her mind, Melody lunged at her bedside table and picked up the letter. She debated about ripping it open, too eager to see what was written inside.

But after a second thought, she decided against it. Knowing her luck, she would rip the letter inside. Mel reached over to her bedside table and grabbed her blade. With one quick motion, the seal was broken, free of any tears or rips in the paper.

Throwing the blade aside, Mel pulled the letter out. It was written on her mother's favourite stationary. It was a creamy white with roses trimming the edges; a gift from her father for their anniversary one year. Just looking at the paper made Melody feel like she wanted to cry.

It was strange. They all faced reminders of their parents every single day, and they hadn't cried over them in months, with the exception of only yesterday...but that was Christmas. How could something so small like a certain writing paper used create such emotion? Mel wondered if her brothers were having the same trouble. She wondered if they had even noticed it at all.

Shaking her head clear of the thoughts, Mel opened the letter and began to read.

_Our Little Melody,_

_Don't ask me why I have written this. Why does Darry work? Why does Soda hog the bathroom in the mornings? Why does Ponyboy dream? Why do you write your songs? You do it because you feel the need. No more explanation is really needed. _

_First off, I just want to say how proud of you we are. I know it's not easy being a girl in this house, believe me I know. But you take it all in your stride so well that shows that you can take everything that comes your way. That's the way we've raised you. _

_You all have grown up before our very eyes. Be it you and your brothers; the four most beautiful children that we have had the privilege of calling our own, or those that we feel as if they were ours. _

_Unfortunately, you all have grown up in times when not everything is fair. But I know that each and every one of my kids knows who they are in life and how to make it through. That's something I always pride myself on as a mother, is that all my children, blood or stowaway, know who they are. _

_Darry's the leader, just like your father. The similarities between those two are incredible, yet they couldn't be more different. My darling Sodapop is the rock, the one that we know we can all depend on no matter what. Ponyboy, our baby, is the dreamer. I swear, Mel, that boy is going to go places in life. Farther than your father and I could ever dream. _

_But you, my beautiful little girl, are truly something special. I'm not saying that because I'm your mother, but because it's the truth. You are a kind heart, Melody. And these days that is a hard quality to come by. The way you look after everyone, and take charge when need be is inspiring._

_Your father says that you get these from me, but what you have is completely your own. Don't lose that, Mel. Once you lose something as precious as that, it's hard to reclaim it. I know that being the only girl, it may seem like you have to be something your not. Promise me, babygirl, that you won't ever change. There are too few people in the world as genuine as you are. Very few have that shining light. It would be a shame to lose it. _

_But, as I look at you all from across the room, or when you're out with the boys, I know that I have nothing to fear. I know we've raised you and your brothers' right. _

_Now, honey, I need you to promise me something. Go easy on the boys...because they are just that. Between you and me, they aren't quite as up to speed as us. But Melody, always remember that they love you and will look out for you always. No matter what happens, you will always have your brothers, and Two-Bit and Steve, Johnny...and especially Dallas. Goodness knows that boy has been the cause of plenty of my grey hairs over the years, but deep down...he's a good kid. And glory knows he loves you. _

_I just know that someday, you'll both stop being so stubborn and come to your senses when you realize that you're meant for each other. Don't you deny it, Melody Jean Curtis. You know your Mama is right._

_As I sit here at the kitchen table, I'm rereading this letter to your father. He, of course, is lounging around in that armchair of his, nodding along, editing this letter as we go. The house is unusually quiet. You're out somewhere with the boys, hopefully behaving...well, to some degree. _

_Hold on a second honey, your father wants to say something..._

_Hey my beautiful babydoll,_

_I know that what your mother has written, is from the both of us, but I thought that I might take a stab at writing something. I really don't know what to say; writing these kind of things has never been a strong point for me, as you know, so go easy on my lack of wording or my terrible handwriting._

_Okay. Well first thing's first, I guess. Like your mother said, I love you so much. Of course, I love the four of you so much. But you're my baby girl; since the moment you were born, you've had me wrapped around your little finger. We've shared so much in seventeen years, haven't we? And I hope we can share a little more. _

_I just want to say one thing. I know that when you read this, you're gonna go all embarrassed and all, but it's gotta be said. I know that someday you'll find another guy to love you (not as much as me of course, but still). I know that you'll know who it is when the time comes. Although...I already have a pretty good idea. Just so you know...I know Dallas will treat you right. And he has my permission._

_Just remember that I'll always love you babydoll. You're my little girl, and nothing will ever, ever change that. I'll hand this back over to your mother. _

_Back again, love. I can't help noticing that this seems like a telephone call; the way we're swapping around whose turn it is to write. _

_As I sit here, I can't help but think about this family. Families like ours are rare, Melody. We're lucky to have each other. No matter what happens; whether you stay here or go on to find greater things in life, we have to stick by each other, all of us. Remember, blood is thicker than water. If we have family, we can do no wrong._

_There are so many things that I have left to say, but now is not the time. So, I guess there isn't much else to say but this. No matter what happens; remember my sweet, sweet Melody, that above all else... We love you, more than you could ever know._

_Love,_

_Mom and Dad_

Mel could feel the tears falling down her cheeks as she re-read the letter once more. She knew that she had done the right thing by reading it. She wiped her eyes and suddenly felt a wave of tiredness over her.

It was still pretty early, so Melody tucked her letter in her drawer before lying down and hoping to catch up on a little rest.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Darry sighed to himself as he sat on his bed. He hoped that what he said to his sister would sink in, and fast. He knew her too well to know that she would regret not reading the letter. He, for one, was thankful with what his parents had told him in their note. Among other things, they told him that they were proud of him, and that he should never give up on what he wants out of life, even if he couldn't go to college.

Darry couldn't help but smile a little. He felt like he had closure to some point. He just hoped that his parents were proud of the way he was trying to keep their family together.

He opened his bedside drawer and put the envelope inside...right by something else that was special...something that he hoped he would come in handy in time.

oOoOoOoOoOo

After reading his letter a few more times, Soda folded it up and put it in his pocket as he came out of his room. The house was quiet. Through the window, he could see Darry putting some boxes of unused Christmas decorations under the house. Ponyboy was nowhere to be seen and Mel still hadn't come out of her room.

Shrugging to himself, Soda went into the kitchen to grab himself some chocolate milk. He grabbed the carton out of the fridge, he looked around to make sure that no one was watching before he took a few gulps straight from the box. He knew that Darry hated it when any of them did it...but it never stopped them.

Suddenly, the phone rang, pulling Soda out of his thoughts. Quickly, he put the carton on the counter and kicked the door shut with his foot before running to answer the phone.

"Hello?" he asked, wiping his milk moustache from his lips.

_Soda?_

"Oh, hey Ginny." Soda said.

_Do you think you could get Darry for me, please?_

"Sure. Are you okay, Gin? You don't sound too good." Soda wondered.

_Please Soda. Just get Darry._

"Yeah, okay. I'll go get him." He put the phone down on the arm of the couch before racing over to the front door.

"Darry!" he called out. "Ginny's on the phone."

He ran back inside just as Darry came back in. Soda pointed to the phone before heading back into the kitchen to finish his milk. Darry dusted his hands before grabbing the phone.

"Hey baby." He said, glad to hear her voice once more. But instead of the cheery sound he was used to, he heard a small, sniffling voice.

_Darry?_

"Ginny, what's wrong?" Darry asked.

_She's dead._

"Who's dead? Ginny, talk to me baby." He was really starting to panic now.

_My...my grandmother. Sh-she died... after I came home from your place. We had a fight and we yelled and...then she died. It's my fault she's gone, Darry!_

"Okay, listen. I'm on my way, okay?" Darry said.

_No. Darry, you don't have to..._

"No, I'm coming, okay?" he insisted. He heard a shaky sigh on the other line.

_Fine._

Darry said goodbye before hanging up the phone and going to get his coat. He was headed towards the door when Soda popped his head out of the kitchen.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"I'm heading over to Ginny's. Her grandmother died and she's a mess." Darry explained.

"Oh my god, is she okay?" Soda wondered, almost dropping his container of milk. Darry shrugged.

"I'm not sure. Will you guys be alright for a while?" he asked.

"Yeah, we'll be fine. Ponyboy's outside reading and Mel's fast asleep in her room." Soda said. Darry nodded.

"Okay. Well, I don't know when I'll be back. But there's some leftovers in the refrigerator that you can heat up for dinner." He said. Soda nodded and practically kicked his brother out the door.

"Just go, Darry." He said. Darry smiled in thanks before heading out to the truck. Soda simply shook his head and went back to guzzling his chocolate milk.

oOoOoOoOoOo

It only took Darry a few minutes to arrive at the Phelps' residence. As he pulled up, he noticed a police car and an ambulance parked out the front. As he got out of the truck he could see Ginny though the living room window. She was being questioned by a police officer while rocking a sleeping Tommy in her lap.

As he climbed the front steps of the run down house, Darry had to sidestep a couple of ambulance officers just go get into the door. He stood back in shock as a stretcher was carried out of what must have been her grandmother's room. Darry looked to the floor, not wanting to look at the outline of a small body underneath the white sheet.

At the sound of footsteps, Ginny looked up at him. Darry could have sworn that he felt his heart break as he saw her tear-stricken face. He waited quietly in the back of the room until she was done being questioned.

Finally, the policemen shook her hand before excusing himself to go to his colleagues outside. Once the room was clear, Darry was over by her side in an instant. After a moment of silence, Darry took Tommy from her tired arms and put him to bed before heading into the kitchen with Ginny. He set her down at the table before he went to get her something to calm her down a little.

"So, what happened?" he asked, setting a cup of tea in front of her. Ginny sighed as she held the cup, hoping to warm her fingers.

"Before she got sick...she's always had a problem with money." She said. Darry nodded in understanding.

"Don't we all?" he said. Ginny shook her head.

"No...not that kind." She said. "She had a really bad gambling problem." Darry couldn't say anything. He simply nodded his head once, allowing her to continue.

"Basically...long story short? She gambled everything away. I came home to find the car gone. She had lost it. Every now and then I would find a little money gone here and there...but I thought she was over it.

"so when I got home...I couldn't help it. I was just so angry. I couldn't believe that she could be so inconsiderate. This woman was supposed to be looking out for us...when all she did was just use us and take our money. So I yelled. Then she yelled back.

"She said that the house was next to go and that she had even found the small stash of money that I had put aside for Tommy. Everything that I had ever worked for, Darry...is gone." She said.

She set her mug down on the table and rested her head in her hands. Darry got up from his seat and went to her side, wrapping his arms around her protectively.

"Hey, shh..." he said, stroking her hair. "It'll be okay."

"How?" Ginny asked. "We don't have anything left!"

Darry didn't know what else to tell her. The two just sat there in each others arms, trying to figure out what their next move was.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Melody slowly opened her eyes and noticed that it was slightly darker outside. She sat up and yawned. She had obviously slept much later than she intended. Her stomach rumbled as she realized that he had skipped dinner.

She stretched her arms as she slowly dragged herself out of bed. She scanned the room and found her pyjamas and got changed before leaving her room.

The living room was pretty quiet, with the exception of the soft noises coming from the TV. Mel noticed that her twin was fast asleep and practically falling off the couch.

She walked over to him and noticed that he really did look younger when he was asleep. Smiling to herself, she flicked the end of his nose, causing him to stir and wake up.

"Wha? Oh, hey. You're awake." He said sleepily. Mel smiled and nodded.

"So are you." She said. "Where is everyone?"

"Oh, uhh Darry left for Ginny's a while ago. Her grandmother died today." Soda said. Mel's eyes widened.

"Oh my god! Are they okay?" she asked. Soda shrugged.

"Don't know." He said. "And Pony...I have no idea." He said, looking around the room. Mel rolled her eyes.

"go to bed." She said. Soda nodded his head and kissed her cheek goodnight before heading towards his room. Mel shook her head and headed into the kitchen to get something to eat. Hopefully her brothers were kind enough to leave her something for dinner. She was lucky to find some left over chicken and salad.

After making herself a sandwich, Mel decided to go and look for her little brother. After glancing out the front window, she saw him sitting on the porch with a cigarette. A shiver came over her as she remembered the last time she saw him sitting like that a few moths before.

_-Flashback-_

_It had been a long couple of days since the Curtis kids lost their parents. They all had had a hard time continuing with their everyday lives. Both Melody and Darry were trying their best to keep their siblings from falling apart, as well as themselves. _

_It was now late at night, and melody was trying to sleep. But there was something stopping her. She decided that she would go check on everything, just in case._

_First, she went and checked on Darry. The poor guy was constantly running around, trying to organise the funeral and everything else that needed to be taken care of. Mel sighed as she saw him asleep in his bed. She noticed that he was clutching a family photo that was taken a few months ago. Mel sighed and closed the door._

_Next, Melody went and checked in her brothers' room, hoping to god that they were asleep. Slowly opening the door, she found Soda snoring loudly and almost falling off the bed. _

_However, she scanned the room to find that Ponyboy could not be seen. Sighing to herself, Mel closed the door and headed out to the front porch. There she found her youngest brother sitting on the steps. She grabbed a blanket off the back of the armchair and headed outside_

_"Baby...this is getting ridiculous." she said, sitting next to him. "You need to get some sleep." Ponyboy turned around and looked at her, his eyes still red and puffy from crying._

_"I cant help it." he said softly. "I just can't seem to sleep." Mel sighed and held him close to her, kissing his head lightly._

_"I know baby, I know." she said, wrapping the blanket around their shoulders. "None of us are dealing very well. But sweetie, you haven't had a good nights sleep in three days...you're going to make yourself sick." Ponyboy could only nod. _

_Mel ran her hand through his hair soothingly when she had an idea. She started humming a comforting tune to him. She felt him start to relax a little._

_"Mel?" Ponyboy wondered._

"_Yeah baby?" Mel asked._

"_Do...do you think mom and dad are okay where they are?" The youngest wondered. Mel smiled as she looked up at the stars._

"_Of course, Honey. They're doing fine. They're out in the country. Mama would be making chocolate cakes and doing what she loves best. And dad wont have to worry about his knee anymore." She said._

"_Do you think they can see us?" Pony wondered. Mel nodded._

"_Yeah, I do. They're always gonna be looking out for us, Ponyboy." She said. Pony nodded his head slowly as they both looked out at the stars above. Mel sighed and rubbed his arm reassuringly._

"_But they wouldn't want us to stop living Ponyboy. They'd want us to keep on going. They'd want Darry to keep watching out for everyone. And they'd want Soda to keep doing what he loves at the DX. And you gotta keep being the way you are." He said._

"_Just like they'd want you to keep singing?" Pony asked. Mel nodded._

"_Yeah baby. They'd want me to keep singing." She said. Ponyboy sighed sadly._

"_What is it?" Mel asked. Pony shrugged._

"_It's just...there are times that I feel like I don't belong." he said. Mel scoffed. _

_"Try being the only girl in the gang." She said. Pony smiled weakly._

_"I know. It's just...it feels like I don't fit." Ponyboy said._

_"You do fit." Melody said. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer to her. "You fit right here."_

_Ponyboy smiled and rested his head on his sister's shoulder. The two sat in a comfortable silence for a while, until Pony had a thought._

_"Mel, can you sing to me now?" he asked. Mel smiled and agreed._

"_Of course." She said. She sat in silence for a little, trying to think of something to sing. Suddenly, it hit her._

_Silly to cry, nothing to fear  
bet'cha where they are's as nice as right here  
bet'cha your life is gonna be swell.  
Looking at you, its easy to tell_

_The sun'll come out  
Tomorrow  
Bet your bottom dollar  
That tomorrow  
There'll be sun! _

_Just thinking about  
Tomorrow  
Clears away the cobwebs  
And the sorrow  
'Til there's none!_

_When you're stuck with a day  
That's gray and lonely  
you just stick out your chin  
And grin, and say _

_The sun'll come out  
Tomorrow  
So ya gotta hang on  
'Til tomorrow  
Come what may  
Tomorrow!  
Tomorrow!  
I love ya  
Tomorrow!  
You're always a day away _

_Mel sighed as she finished her song. Ponyboy smiled and looked up at her. _

_"That was beautiful. When did you come up with that?" he asked._

_"Last night." Mel said. "I wrote it for you."_

_"You did?" Ponyboy wondered. Mel smiled and nodded._

_"Sure did. Whenever you feel scared or lonely or anything...just think of that song...hum it or something...you'll know someone's with you." she said. For the first time in days, Ponyboy Curtis smiled. He leaned up and kissed his sisters cheek._

_"Thanks Mel. I love you."_

_"I love you too Pony... never forget that."_

_-__End of flashback-_

Mel sighed to herself as she grabbed the blanket off the back of the armchair and headed outside.

"Thought you'd be out here." She said. Ponyboy turned around and smiled weakly. Mel walked over and sat down beside him, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders. The youngest Curtis smiled in thanks and handed her a cigarette.

"You read your letter?" Mel wondered.

"Yeah." Pony said. "They told me they loved me and that I should keep being me."

"They're right." Mel said. Ponyboy smiled and took the cigarette back.

"What about you?" he asked. "You read yours?" Mel sighed and nodded.

"Eventually." She said. "Then I fell asleep."

"Yeah...we were gonna wake you up but Soda thought that you needed the rest." Pony said.

"Yeah, I guess I was pretty out of it. I just woke up then and sent soda to bed before finding you out here." Mel said. "It made me remember the last time we were out here."

Ponyboy silently nodded as the memory replayed over in his mind, just like it had done for Melody. Mel took another drag of her cigarette and sighed deeply.

"I was so scared that night, Ponyboy." She said. Ponyboy looked up at her in confusion.

"You were?" he asked. Mel nodded.

"Yeah. I thought we were gonna lose you too." She said. "You weren't sleeping. You weren't eating, or talking…you weren't living. And I honestly thought that you were gonna leave me too."

Ponyboy sighed sadly. He remembered the zombie-like state he was in after their parents died. But he honestly didn't mean to make her worry like that. He didn't want to make anyone worry like that.

"I would never do that, Mel." He assured her. Mel smiled and pulled him close.

"I know baby, I know." She said, kissing his head. Ponyboy smiled. The two gazed up at the stars, just like they had that other time.

"I was thinking." Mel said. "Why don't we do something tomorrow. Just the two of us?"

"Really?" Pony wondered, trying to hide his excitement. "You don't have plans with Dally or Two-bit?" Mel laughed a little and shook her head.

"Forget them. You'll always be more important than them, Ponyboy." She said. "So, how about it? We can get something to eat, and maybe see a movie or something?"

"That sounds great." Pony smiled. Mel grinned. She then noticed how cold it was getting.

"Come on, it's freezing out here." She said. She took her brother's hand before they both headed inside. When they entered the living room, Pony noticed that the couch was vacant.

"Soda gone to bed?" he asked. Mel nodded.

"Yeah, and knowing him, he's taking up the entire bed." She said. Ponyboy rolled his eyes as he had a thought.

"Would I be okay if I stayed with you tonight?" he asked. Mel smiled and nodded as she headed towards her room. Pony disappeared into his room to get changed for bed. When he was ready, he climbed into his sister's bed and snuggled down to go to sleep. Mel smiled and wrapped her arm around him protectively as she started humming to him once again.

**A/N2: Okay, so I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. One of the sneak peeks that I had posted a few chapters ago was included...what's gonna happen? Let me know your thoughts :]**


	50. West Side, East Side

**A/N: I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry that it's been a long time between updates. I have seriously been stuck at the moment. I've had ideas but have had no way to put them into chapters. Plus, I've had quite a bit on at the moment with my school musical, The Wizard of Oz [soo much fun!], my birthday a few weeks ago [yaay!], exam prep and then moving house on top of all that. So, I'm sincerely sorry and hope that you all don't hate me and all that, but I promise, the next few chapters will surely make up for it =) and please, don't forget to REVIEW and let me know some ideas! Now, on to Chapter 50! woooot!**

**Disclaimer: [not the entire thing all over again though] I know that West Side Story was released in 1961, but I wanted to put it in this story so I thought 'what the hell!' So, yeah, I kinda don't own it or any of the songs from it.**

Mel tilted her head to the side, looking at her reflection in the bathroom mirror as she dried her hair. She thought she had it all worked out. But obviously, she was wrong. Sighing to herself, she knew she shouldn't let it worry her. It was probably going to happen sooner or later.

Wrapping her towel around her tightly, Mel left the bathroom and headed for her room. She walked past the living room, completely ignoring everyone, and casually flipping off Steve after his whistle as if it was all a routine.

Mel closed the door behind her and began to search her floor for clothes. She was about to snatch up her jeans and a red t-shirt from the floor, she finally noticed that she wasn't alone.

"Well, a guy could get used to this every morning." Dal said from his spot on the bed; gesturing to her towel-clad body. Melody rolled her eyes.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked, getting dressed.

"Well," Dally started as he propped himself up on his elbow. "I thought that since I couldn't sleep in a bed last night, I would try now."

Mel smiled sympathetically as she put her towel on her desk chair, ready to be collected for washing. She slipped her shirt over her head as she sat down beside him.

"I'm sorry. It was a rough day." She said. "He just...needed me."

Dally sighed dramatically. Out of the corner of his eye he glanced up at her and smiled a little; nodding his head in understanding as he wrapped his arms around her waist. As he pulled her closer to him, Mel sighed happily as he buried his head in the crook of her neck.

"But seriously...after being used to staying in here, I've figured something out." Dal said.

"Oh? What's that?" Mel asked. Dal sighed and looked up at her.

"That goddamn couch is uncomfortable!" he whined. Mel couldn't help but laugh at him.

"Poor baby." She said, kissing his cheek mockingly. "You've put up with it for years. Why are you complaining now?"

"Because I didn't have the option of a comfy bed since now." Dal said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. Mel rolled her eyes.

"And who's fault is that?" she asked. Dal narrowed his eyes. Mel smirked triumphantly as she sat up on the bed. She pushed herself up onto her feet and was about to walk away when she felt Dal grasp her wrist and pull her back down against his chest.

"You 'right there?" she asked. Dal smirked and nodded, burying his face in her neck. Mel smiled as she ran her hands through his hair absentmindedly.

"Got any plans for today?" she asked. The response she got was the feeling of Dal trailing light kisses down her neck.

"Yeah." He said, continuing the soft trail down to her collarbone. "They go a little something like this."

As much as it pained her to do so, Mel knew that she had to stop him now. She had promised her brother that today would be for them, and that wouldn't happen if she didn't get moving...especially if Dally kept that up.

"Hold it right there, cowboy." Mel said, pushing away from Dally. It took all her willpower not to laugh at his annoyed expression. "I'm afraid I'm gonna have to take a raincheck on that."

"How come?" Dal wondered.

"I promised Ponyboy that I'd spend some time with him today." Mel said. Dal nodded his head in understanding, although Mel could see the look of disappointment on his face. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"I happen to know another little brother who would love to hang out with you today." She said. Dal looked as though he was contemplating it. Mel rolled her eyes, definitely her favourite thing to do at the moment.

"Oh come on." She said. "You know both you and Johnny would love that."

"Yeah." Dally said. Mel smiled to herself, glad to have won once again. She grinned cheekily as she flicked the back of his head before getting up and leaving the room before he had the chance to respond.

The guys were all lounging in the living room, just like any other day, although both Darry and Soda had already gone to work. Mel couldn't see her little brothers anywhere, so she assumed that Ponyboy and Johnny were sitting out on the porch.

Mel headed to the kitchen, hoping that there was some cake left for her. Luckily, someone thought they would be nice enough to leave her half a slice. Oh well, it was better than nothing. Mel skulled some milk before grabbing her cake and kicking the fridge door shut.

When she came back into the living room, Ponyboy, Johnny and Dallas walked in through the front door.

"Ready to go, Pony?" Mel wondered. Ponyboy nodded his head before he went to go find his jacket.

"Alright, we'll see you lot later." Mel said, pulling one of her sneakers on. "Do not trash my house and do not break anything otherwise I will break your necks."

"Good to know you think so highly of us, Mel." Steve said sarcastically.

"Just don't do it, okay?" Mel said. She walked over to the couch and kissed Dal. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss. As he walked back into the room, Ponyboy sighed when he saw that his sister was distracted. He rolled his eyes as he walked over to the couch.

"Mel come on." He said, pulling her away from Dallas. Mel laughed as he little brother dragged her out the front door.

"Okay!" she laughed, waving to the others as she left the house. Dal smirked then noticed Mel's other sneaker by the side of the couch. He picked it up and threw it out the screen door before it slammed shut.

"Thank you!"

oOoOoOoOoOo

Darry sighed to himself as he sat during his lunch break. Ever since he saw Ginny the day before, his mind had been consumed with ways to help her out. He wished that there was something that he could do, what respectable boyfriend wouldn't? But it wasn't the easiest situation. As everyone started heading back, Darry sighed to himself and got ready to go back to work .He hoped that he would be able to come up with something, and fast.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Ponyboy and Mel had had a great day together so far. They decided not to take the car, but rather walk around the neighbourhood. They were now sitting on an old sofa in the lot, just relaxing for a while. Ponyboy was drawing obscure patterns in the dirt with a stick, while Mel lounged back with her eyes closed. Every now and then the two would come up with something to talk and laugh about, something that they hadn't done in a long time.

"You're happy with Dal, right?" Pony asked suddenly. Mel looked up at him.

"What?" she wondered.

"Dal. You're happy with him, aren't you?" Pony repeated. Mel smiled at him. She loved the way Ponyboy was protective over her. All her brothers, and the guys were, but Pony was different.

"Yeah, I am." She said happily. Ponyboy smiled, and continued with his drawing. A comfortable silence fell upon the two siblings once again. But it wasn't long before another question started to bother the youngest Curtis.

"Hey Mel?" he asked. His sister looked up at him, silently waiting for the rest of the question. "What's it like, being in love?" Mel couldn't help smiling after that.

"Is there something you're not telling me, little brother?" she asked. She chuckled a little after watching Pony's ears turn red.

"No!" he said. "I was just wondering, that's all." He said. Mel smiled again.

"Well, I guess it's different for everyone." She said. "I mean it's probably one of the best feelings you could ever feel in your life, to know that you love someone, and they love you right back. I guess...we'll, I guess all I could say is that it's nice. It's real nice."

Ponyboy nodded his head in understanding. After another moment or so, Melody sighed and hauled herself off the sofa.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm starving. That half a slice of cake this morning really doesn't fill you up much." She said. Ponyboy nodded his head in agreement.

"The Dingo?" he suggested.

"Lead the way, brother of mine." Mel said. Ponyboy rolled his eyes and started walking away, leaving a shocked Mel behind him.

"Hey! Don't roll your eyes at me, young man! That's my thing!" she called out as she ran to catch up to him.

oOoOoOoOoOo

When they arrived at the Dingo, Mel found Kathy sitting out the front on a break, so Ponyboy went inside to find a table. He spotted an empty booth across the room. Just as he was about to head over, he heard someone calling his name. He turned and saw Johnny and Dallas sitting in a booth. Both of them were waving him over.

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Pony asked.

"Just grabbing some lunch. Where's Mel?" Johnny asked.

"Outside talking to Kathy." Ponyboy said.

"Sit down if ya want." Dal said, pointing to the empty spot beside Johnny. Pony shrugged and slid into the booth next to his friend. When Mel came inside with Kathy, she searched the diner for her little brother. Finally, she found him sitting with Dal and Johnny.

"You guys stole my lunch date." She joked as she sat down beside Dally. He just shrugged innocently and finished off his coke. Kathy came around soon after to take Mel and Pony's orders for lunch. The four talked for a while as they waited for their lunch to arrive.

"So, what are you guys gonna do after?" Johnny wondered.

"We're probably gonna see West Side Story." Pony said.

"What's that?" Dal asked, stealing a few of Mel's fries. She turned to glare at her boyfriend before sighing.

"It's a movie. It's about two gangs in New York. But one guy falls in love with a girl from the enemy gang." She explained.

"Sounds pretty tuff." Johnny said. "Can we go, Dal?"

"Yeah, can they Mel?" Pony asked. Dal shrugged his shoulders.

"Sure, why not." He said.

"I don't think it'd be Dal's kinda movie." Mel said. The hood looked at her strangely. "What? I just don't think you'd be interested."

"It's about New York, right?" Dal asked.

"Right."

"And it's about gangs, right?"

"Right."

"And there's sure to be some fighting and all that jazz, right?"

"Right."

"Then what's not for me to like?" Dal wondered, kicking his feet up onto the opposite seat beside Johnny. "If it's the romance-y stuff you're talkin' about, I guess I can bare it for a few hours."

"What about the singing?" Mel asked casually, taking a sip of her feet.

"What?" Dal wondered. Mel grinned.

"West Side Story is a musical, babe. There will be people singing and dancing in it." She said. She wished she had her mother's camera to take a picture of Dal's face.

"But I can take the boys to see it if you want, and you can go do something else." She said. Dal was silent for what seemed like forever before he shook his head.

"No, I'll go." He said, completely shocking the other three.

"What?" they said in unison.

"I said I'll go." Dal said, getting up from the table. "Jesus, you three are acting like I said something stupid."

And with that, he walked out the front to wait for them outside. Mel couldn't wipe the smile from her face. She knew that he had to do something to cover up the fact that he had just agreed to go see a Romance/Musical movie. She and the boys finished up before paying and meeting Dally outside.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The four of them were huddled a little way from the Movie house. There weren't many people around, which suited them all fine. Dally got a good look at the front of the theatre before walking back to the group.

"Alright, you two, wait for my signal, then go." He said to the two younger boys. They nodded their heads in understanding. Dal nodded once before taking Mel's hand and walking towards the ticket box.

"Can I help you?" an extremely bored looking young man asked when they arrived.

"Uhh, yeah. My girlfriend thinks she left her purse in the theatre from this afternoon." Dal said, nodding to Mel, who by now had a look of sheer panic on her face. The young man sighed.

"Are you sure you didn't leave it at home, miss?" he asked. Mel shook her head.

"No, I had it when we went in to see the movie earlier today. I need to find it." She sobbed into Dally's shoulder. During this, Dal moved his hand behind him and motioned for the other two to come forward. Ducking down, the two younger boys moved quickly and quietly towards the entrance.

"Alright, you can go in and look." The young man said, honestly not caring one bit. Dal nodded his head in thanks before the two of them walked over to the entrance where Ponyboy and Johnny were waiting.

"Sucker." Dal said smugly. "Nice acting babe."

Mel grinned as the four of them headed inside and found their seats, settling down to watch the movie.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Soda wiped his hands on a rag as he inspected the car he had just finished. Smiling to himself in approval, he closed the hood and looked up at the clock on the wall. It was six thirty; quitting time. Tossing the rag aside, he ventured into the office to get his stuff and check on Steve. He found said friend lounging in the office chair, going paperwork.

"Alright, I'm heading home." He said, slipping his jacket on his shoulders. Steve merely grunted in acknowledgement.

"Anything else I need to do around here, or are you okay?" he asked. Once again, Steve grunted. Soda laughed a little before his next question.

"Are you an ugly ape that ran away from the circus?" he wondered childishly. He got the same response. Laughing to himself, Soda left.

oOoOoOoOoOo

As he walked down the street, Soda noticed something. Just outside the movie house, there were a group of guys bugging some girl. From what he could see, she was holding her own, but those guys weren't backing off.

"Come on baby, we can show you a good time." One of them said. He reached towards her, but she slapped him away.

"Are you deaf ? I told you I'm waiting for my boyfriend." The girl said. Soda's eyes widened as he recognised the voice. It was Angela Shepard. Instantly he started heading over to the group

"Yeah right." Another said, grasping her arm roughly. Angela pulled herself from his grip.

"God, ugly, deaf _and _stupid." She said. "Keep ya hands off me, jackass."

"Why you little..."

"Hey baby." The group turned to see Soda standing before them. His movie-star smile shining brightly at them. Angela looked at him strangely for a moment. Soda pushed his way past the guys and over to her side.

"Sorry I'm late, darlin'. Work was a nightmare. Have you been waiting for me long?" Soda asked, kissing her cheek. Angela sent him a smile, silently thanking him as she shook her head.

"No, not too long." She said. Soda grinned and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Come on, we better get going." He said. Angela threw a look to the guys before both she and Soda walked away, leaving the group of guys dumbfounded.

Once they were a safe distance away, Angela stopped walking and turned to face him.

"Thank you so much, Soda." She said. "They wouldn't leave me alone."

"It's okay. Happy to help." Soda said, smiling at her. "But, if you don't mind me asking, how come they were bugging you?" Angela sighed.

"Well, I was supposed to meet up with Cassie to see a movie, but she decided not to show up. So, I was gonna wait a little longer before I headed home, but then those morons showed up and wouldn't let me leave." She said. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't of shown up playing the hero."

"Aw, shucks, Angie. You're making me blush." Soda joked, making her laugh. The two stopped on the corner as Soda looked up at the sky.

"Well, it's getting pretty late. I think I should walk you home." He said, turning to the girl. Angela playfully scowled at him.

"I'm sixteen, Soda. I don't need a babysitter, okay?" she asked, walking a little ahead. Soda rolled his eyes as he caught up to her.

"Well...why don't you think of it as a date, _okay_?" he asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I mean, I am playing the hero after all." Angela couldn't help but smile at his joke as she pretended to think about it.

"Well... I guess that would be alright." She said.

"Good." Soda said. "But first how about heading over to the Dingo for a chocolate shake? I mean, what kind of boyfriend would I be if we didn't have a chocolate shake?" Angela laughed again.

"A pretty lousy one." She said. "Besides, what's a date without a chocolate shake?"

"A pretty lousy one." Soda smiled, holding out his arm for her. Angela mirrored his grin, taking his arm as the two of them headed down to the Dingo. On their way, Soda noticed Angela rubbing her arms absentmindedly.

"You cold?" he asked. Angela looked up at him then at her arms.

"Oh, a little." She admitted. "I didn't think to bring a jacket. I was planning on being inside a warm theatre, not standing out in the cold."

Soda looked at her for a moment before shrugging off his jacket and handing it to her.

"You don't have to." Angela insisted. But Soda simply ignored her, as he placed it on her shoulders, regardless of her refusal.

"I know." He said.

oOoOoOoOoOo

'_I didn't believe hard enough'_

'_No, loving is enough.'_

'_Not here. They won't let us be.'_

'_Then we'll get away.'_

'_We can. We will...'_

'_Hold my hand and we're halfway there. Hold my hand and I'll take you there, Someday, Somehow, Some...'_

As Natalie Wood's 'Maria' held the lifeless body of her true love onscreen, the audience was completely silent; even the four greasers sitting in the back row. Mel felt fresh tears falling down her cheeks, replacing the ones that had been falling for most of the second half of the movie.

The entire story seemed so real to them, because not all of it was just a story. The battle between the Sharks and the Jets reminded them of what they were going through with the socs. Mel didn't take her eyes off the screen when she felt Dal take her hand comfortingly.

As the lights went up, she wiped her eyes and noticed that her brother and Johnny's eyes were a little red. She even saw that Dallas was a little quieter and a little more subdued. She squeezed his hand as they all got out of their seats and headed out the back door of the theatre.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Hey you two." Kathy smiled as Soda and Angela walked into the Dingo.

"Hey Kath, how's things?" Soda wondered. Kathy shrugged.

"Not too bad. I had your brother and sister in this afternoon with Dal and Johnnycakes." She said. "What about you guys?"

"I'm shouting Miss Shepard a chocolate shake." Soda smiled. Kathy nodded.

"Alright, you guys grab a seat and I'll be right back." She said. The two smiled in thanks before making their way over to a booth.

"So, I haven't seen you around lately. How've you been?" Soda asked. Angela shrugged.

"I've been alright. Never a boring day when you live with the Shepard boys, I guess. Two idiotic brothers and me." She said. Soda laughed.

"Yeah, I know the feeling." He said.

"What about you?" Angela wondered, pushing a strand of her sandy blonde hair out of her eyes.

"Same old story really. Working at the DX everyday." Soda said.

"Yeah, I see the swarms of teenage fangirls that stalk you there." Angela giggled. Soda groaned in frustration at the mention of them. But Angela simply laughed even more.

"Other than that, just the usual I guess." He said. Angela nodded. Kathy brought over their milkshakes before heading back to work. Angela took a sip of hers before looking at her hands.

"How's Sandy?" she asked, playing with her straw. Soda looked up at her.

"What? Oh, Sandy. Yeah, she's great." He smiled. "I'll tell her you said hi."

"Yeah, thanks." Angela said, smiling a little.

oOoOoOoOoOo

As Ponyboy and Johnny walked ahead, Mel and Dal stayed back; both still quiet after the movie.

"Is it...is it really like that? New York?" Mel wondered. Dal sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, it can be." He said. Mel nodded her head sadly.

"Well, not so different from here then, is it?" she asked. Dal shrugged.

"Well, there's really no murder-wraps we can get caught up in." He said, trying to lighten the mood. But Mel still looked at her feet. Dal sighed and wrapped his arm around her.

"I may hate living in this stupid town, but I'd always pick Tulsa over New York." He said.

"Why?" Mel asked.

"Cause there's nothing left for me in New York." Dal said. "And there are certain things that are keeping me here, right where I am."

"Really?" Mel wondered. Dal nodded seriously.

"Oh yeah, Two-Bit's a very likeable guy." He said. Mel frowned jokingly and elbowed him in the ribs. He grinned before stopping her from walking. "Seriously though, why would I go to New York...when you're right here?"

Mel smiled and reached up onto the tips of her toes and kissed him. Dal wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him as he deepened the kiss.

"Hey! Will you two hurry up?"

The two older teens broke apart and sighed. Mel smiled as she took his hand and they raced to catch up to the other two.

"Man that was one tuff movie." Johnny said as Dal and Mel finally caught up with them. Pony nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. What'd you think Mel?" He asked. Mel smiled.

"I loved it. The story was great and the music was incredible." She said. She looked up at Dally, pouting her lip. He groaned in frustration and stopped walking. She smiled and jumped on his back. The younger two simply laughed as they all headed home.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Soda and Angela were still sitting in their booth talking when it was time to close up shop. Neither of them had realized the time before Kathy walked over to them, changed out of her uniform and into her regular clothes.

"Hey guys, time to go." She said. "We're closing up a little early tonight"

The two looked at her confused before they looked around. All the chairs were stacked on tables, there were no people left and everything was turned of or put away.

"Oh my god...were we really here that long?" Angela wondered. Kathy nodded. "What time is it?"

"Almost 10." Kathy said. Soda looked at her and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, Kath." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. Kathy put her hands on her hips and glared at the two playfully.

"Just make sure it doesn't happen again." She said. But she really didn't mean it. She had been watching the two of them all night, but she didn't have the heart to tell them to leave.

Angela and Soda waited outside by the door as Kathy locked up. Angela rested her back against a wall as she played with the sleeves of Soda's jacket, which were just that little too big on her.

"You okay?" Soda asked. Angela looked up and nodded just as Kathy came outside.

"Is Scott picking you up?" Soda wondered. Kathy shook her head.

"No, Two-Bit was supposed to come and get me. But it seems he's forgotten again." Kathy said with a sigh.

"Or he's a little distracted." Angela said. Kathy looked at her confused.

"What makes you say that?" she asked. Angela looked past her at something in the distance.

"Cause he's over there." She said. The three of them looked over and saw that Two-Bit really was there...talking to some blonde girl. The look in Kathy's eyes was furious as she glared at her boyfriend, shamelessly flirting with the airhead.

"Can I borrow that jacket, Angie?" Kathy wondered. Angela was confused, but handed it over anyway. Kathy accepted the item before turning around so that her back was to them. Both Angela and Soda looked at each other, trying to figure out what the hell she was doing. When they looked back at Kathy, they were shocked, yet amused to see that she had shoved the jumper up her top to make it seem like she was pregnant.

"Convincing enough?" she asked. Her friends were too stunned to say anything. Instead they nodded their heads slowly. Kathy seemed pleased with their response. She smiled at the two before walking over to her boyfriend.

Kathy stood there fro a matter of minutes before Two-Bit realized she was there. When he saw her, she honestly thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head. Angela and Soda were trying their best to control their laughter.

"Kathy. Wha..." Two-Bit started. But Kathy held her hand up to silence him.

"I left home this morning, to work an 18 hour shift here so I could make some money for us. I leave you at home with the kids while I try and make an honest livin' for us. I ask for nothing from you except for being there for our family and to pick me up on time so I can put my feet up. And where do I find you? Out on the corner talking to some little hussy!" She screamed at him.

"Babe, what are you..."

"Don't you dare 'babe' me! Who's at home with the kids? Or did you decide to leave OUR five – soon to be six children at home by themselves! That's it! I've had it. We're through!" Kathy exclaimed before slapping his cheek. The blonde looked at Two-Bit in disgust. She slapped his other cheek and turning on her heels and walking away.

Soda and Angela couldn't hold it any longer. The two burst out laughing, clutching their stomachs after seeing the show.

Kathy smiled proudly, crossing her arms over her chest. Two-Bit turned to look at her, rubbing both his cheeks where red palm prints were starting to form.

"Okay... I deserved that." He said. Kathy nodded her head as she removed her 'baby' from under her shirt.

"Damn right you deserved that." She said. Two-Bit nodded.

"I must admit...that was good. I'm sorry." He said. Kathy sighed and rolled her eyes.

"It's okay." She said. Two-Bit grinned and kissed her.

"But really? Five kids?" he wondered. Kathy simply shrugged as the two of them made their way back over to the other two, who by now had managed to stop laughing.

"That...was genius!" Angela said.

"Thank you. Thank you very much." Kathy laughed.

"Yeah, yeah." Two-Bit said. "Come on, let's get you home, mama."

Kathy grinned and handed Soda's jacket back to Angela. The two said goodbye to the younger couple before heading home.

"Okay, now I really should get you home." Soda said. Angela nodded and the two of them set off once again.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Ponyboy, Melody and Dally said goodbye to Johnny at the corner of the street before he disappeared to his place and they headed back to the Curtis house. The porch light was on, meaning that either Darry or Soda was home. When they entered the house, they found Darry asleep in the armchair. Mel sighed and jumped off Dally's back before walking up to her brother. She bent down and gently shook him awake.

"Darry." She whispered. After a moment or two, the eldest Curtis woke up.

"Huh? Mel?" he yawned. "What time is it?"

"A little after ten thirty." Mel said. "Go to bed."

Darry didn't need to be told twice. He pulled himself out of his chair and walked sleepily into his room. Dally had already gone into Mel's room.

"Hey Mel?" Pony said from his doorway.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for a great day." He said. Mel smiled and kissed the top of his head.

"Right back at ya, kiddo." She said, messing his hair a little. Ponyboy swatted her hand away before heading into his room. Mel smiled for a moment before walking into her room and closing the door behind her.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Thanks again for playing the hero, Soda." Angela said as they reached her house. Soda grinned.

"Anytime." He said.

"I'll see you later." Angela said. Soda nodded his head and smiled. She waved to him before disappearing into the house. Soda waved at the empty doorway before turning around to start his journey home.

Inside, the house was quiet, meaning that her brothers were either out or asleep.

"Movie ran late?" a voice asked from the living room. Angela jumped about twelve feet in the air. She fumbled around for the light switch before finally seeing her brother on the couch.

"Jesus Tim!" she exclaimed. "Give me a freaking heart attack, why don't cha."

"Sorry." Tim said casually. Angela rolled her eyes.

"No, I didn't go to a movie. Cassie never showed up." She explained.

"Then where were you?" Tim asked.

"At the Dingo." Angela shrugged.

"Who's jacket's that?" Tim wondered.

"What's with the interrogation?" Angela retorted. "If you must know, it's Sodapop's."

"Curtis?" Tim asked.

"How many other Sodapop's do you know, dumbass?" Angela asked. "Yes Sodapop Curtis. I ran into him and we went to the Dingo and he walked me home. Why? You got something against me hanging out with him or something?"

"No." Tim said. "Now get your ass into bed." Angela rolled her eyes once again but headed upstairs all the same.

oOoOoOoOoOo

When Soda got home, the house was quiet, meaning everyone was probably asleep. He was feeling kinda hungry, since he missed out on dinner, so he headed to the kitchen.

"Where've you been all night?" a voice asked him. Soda jumped a little but calmed himself down when he realized it was only his twin. He flicked on the light and saw Mel in her pyjamas, with the carton of milk in her hand, about to close the fridge. Dally was sitting at the table in his pyjama pants with a plate of chocolate cake on the table in front of him.

"The Dingo." Soda said, helping himself to some cake. "Before I went to the Shepards place."

"Why were you at Shepard's?" Dal asked.

"Took Angela home." Soda said simply. Both Mel and Dal looked at each other surprised.

"You took Angela home? From Where?" Mel wondered.

"The dingo." Soda said. "I ran into her outside the movie house. She was waiting for Cassie to come but she didn't and these guys were bothering her. So I helped her out and we went and got a milkshake. We stayed at the dingo till late and then I took her home. Oh by the way, you gotta ask Kathy about what she did to Two-Bit before."

"So...you two were at the Dingo...together...alone?" Mel pushed, sitting up on the countertop.

"It's not what you think." Soda insisted. Mel crossed her arms.

"And what do I think, brother dear?" she asked.

"It was not a date." Soda said. "Just two friends hanging out." Mel rolled her eyes once again before looking at Dal, who wore a similar gin on his face.

"Whatever you say, Sodiepop." Mel said. Soda sighed, grabbed some cake before heading out to his room.

"Good night you two." He called out over his shoulder. When he was gone, the two looked at each other.

"Denial." They both said.

"I heard that!"Soda called out. Mel laughed and jumped off the counter and sat down at the table with Dal.

**A/N2: So, yeah. I hope you all liked it. I know I made Dal OOC after the movie, but I had the idea and I just wanted to put it in. Besides, with the way he is in this story, it could happen =P also I hope I don't offend anyone with that comment Dal made about Tulsa...it's ust something he would say, not me. I did get the idea of how to get into the movie theatre from one of the Look Who's Talking movies with John Travolta [I forget which one.] and the line about babysitting between Angie and Soda from Grease 2. **

**So, please REVIEW and let me know your thoughts, queries, comments and suggestions. If I get some more feedback and ideas, the next one will be out shortly.**

**Xo **


	51. Goodbye Love

**A/N: Hey all! Wow, this is probably one of the fastest updates I've ever posted! I really wanted to get this chapter out as quick as I could... I really enjoyed writing it. I hope you all like it. But I do apologise if it's a bit rushed. I had a teeny bit of trouble with it, and it is, like 2:20 am now. But it is another one of the sneak peeks done! So...yeah. please R&R, hope you like it!**

Straight after work the next evening, Darry jumped in the truck and headed down to Ginny's. He had spent the last day and night thinking of some way to help both her and Tommy out. He hadn't yet come up with a working solution, but hopefully that afternoon would give them a chance to sit down and talk about it clearly.

As soon as he pulled up outside her house, Darry noticed that something wasn't right. In a matter of hours, the atmosphere of the house had changed quite drastically. The front door was wide open with a few boxes stacked up beside it.

Through the window he could see Tommy sitting on the couch patiently while Ginny busied herself inside. A moment later, she came outside carrying a heavy-looking box.

"Ginny?" Darry called out, getting out of the car. If she heard him, she didn't give him any notice. Darry rushed up the path towards the house.

"Ginny? Baby, what's going on?" he asked. He stood in front of her, determined to get some kind of recognition.

"Darry, I can't talk now." Ginny said brusquely, refusing to make eye contact with him. She sidestepped him and placed the box with the others before walking back into the house. But Darry refused to leave without a proper explanation.

"What do you mean _'can't talk now?'_" he said, following her inside. "Why's all your stuff packed up?" Not even a second after the words came out; something deep within him told Darry why. He shook the feeling away, not wanting to believe it as the truth. Ginny stopped what she was going and sighed.

"Tommy, go play in your room." She said calmly.

"But Gin..." Tommy protested.

"Now."

Tommy sighed and jumped off the couch, making his way to his bedroom. Darry watched the ten year old close the door behind him before turning his attention back to his girlfriend.

"What's going on?" he asked again.

"We're leaving." Ginny said. Darry suddenly felt sick. It _was _true.

"Leaving? Why?" He wondered, trying to hide the desperation in his voice. Ginny sighed and shrugged nonchalantly.

"I just can't stay here anymore." She said. "Not after all of this. I don't have a choice." Darry sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Look, I know you're hurting...but that doesn't mean you have to leave." He said. Ginny scoffed.

"Yes it does! We have nothing, Darry! She gambled everything away, you know that!" She said, raising her voice. "I have no car! No Money! Soon I won't have a house! I was fired from one of my jobs..."

"Wait...you were fired?" Darry interrupted. Ginny sighed again.

"Yes, I was fired from the dress store this morning." She said. "There is nothing left here for me in this town. I can't do it anymore!"

"There's me." Darry said quietly.

"Darry..."

"I'm here. "He said. "We can get through this, Ginny. I can look after you. I can..."

"How? " She wondered. "Darry, you can barely look after yourself and those kids, let alone Tommy and me as well."

"I don't know...but we can work it out." Darry said.

"No Darry, we can't." Ginny said. She shook her head and headed back into the kitchen, picking up where she left off with the packing.

"What can I do to convince you to stay?" Darry wondered, following her.

"Nothing. I don't wanna stay...I can't stay." Ginny said. "There is nothing that you or anyone else can say or do that will make me want to stay here. Why can't you understand that?"

"Because I don't think that just packing up and leaving will solve your problems, Ginny!" Darry exclaimed. Ginny remained silent as she continued packing. Darry sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"When my parents died, part of me wanted nothing more than to just pack up and leave town." Darry admitted. "But I knew I couldn't. I knew it wasn't the right thing to do."

"When your parents died, you had a house, and a car, and a job...and a life to go home to." Ginny snapped. "I have nothing."

The two of them were silent for what seemed like a lifetime. The only sounds that could be heard in the entire house were the sounds of rustling newspaper which Ginny was using to pack and the faint sound of Tommy's voice in his bedroom.

"Tomorrow." Darry said finally. "Give me til tomorrow. I promise we can work this out...please?"

"No, Darry."

"Gin...please. I...I'm begging you. Just give me tomorrow."

Ginny put down the plate she was wrapping and sighed. After a long while she nodded her head.

"Fine." She said quietly. Darry let out a deep sigh of relief. He walked over to her and took her hands in his.

"Thank you." He said. He lifted her chin so they were looking eye-to-eye. He smiled a small smile before kissing her lips gently.

And with that, he broke away from her and left the house, promising to be back the next morning. He said goodbye to Tommy before heading out to his truck. As he drove down the road, he couldn't help noticing Ginny's reluctance to kiss him back.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"That was out of bounds and you know it!" a loud, angry voice came from the front lawn. As he pulled up at the house, Darry saw that most of the gang was outside.

"Bullshit that was out of bounds!" Dally responded. "You're just mad 'cause we're kicking your ass."

"So it has nothing to do with the fact that Two-Bit practically trampled him and tackled him to the ground so that you could take the ball and score?" Ponyboy wondered, sitting down on the porch. Dally shrugged and grinned.

"Speaking of which...do you think that maybe you can, oh I don't know...get your fat ass off me, perhaps?" Steve wondered from his spot on the ground...still under Two-Bit. The latter grinned brightly.

"Oh but Stevie, we're having ever-so-much fun!" he laughed, jumping up and down a little. But he stopped suddenly and frowned. "And my ass is not fat!"

Steve simply rolled his eyes and shoved Two-Bit off him. Soda was sitting in the porch, laughing at the scene that was taking place.

"Oh, hey Darry." He said, looking up at his brother walking through the gate. Darry looked up and nodded a response to his brother before walking inside. He put his work things down in his room before walking into the kitchen.

"Hey Johnnycake, could you grab those paper plates for me?" Mel asked, facing the kitchen stove.

"Not Johnnycake." Darry replied. Mel turned around and smiled.

"Hey, where've you been?" She wondered, tucking a loose strand of hair under the DX cap on top of her head.

"Just had some things to work out." Darry said, handing her a stack of paper plates. "What's going on?"

"It's a nice night. I thought we could eat outside for a change." Mel shrugged. "Go relax. There's a new stock of beer in the fridge if you want one."

Darry didn't argue. He went and had a shower and got changed out of his work clothes before helping himself to a beer and heading outside. A little while later, Mel and Johnny came outside carrying plates full of burgers.

The eight greasers sat on the front porch eating their dinner. Two-Bit and Steve were talking about something and the others were only just paying attention. Mel, who was sitting with her back against Dally's chest, turned her attention away from her friends and noticed her eldest brother staring into space.

"...all I'm saying is that with a little effort, and if you weren't such an ass, Stevie, you might be able to relieve some of that obvious sexual tension." Two-Bit said, finishing off his strange rant.

"What the hell are you talking about, seriously?" Steve wondered. "But hey, at least it's not as bad as these two." He pointed over his shoulder at Mel and Dal.

"Ew." Soda shuddered. Dal simply grinned.

"Don't have that problem anymore, right babe?" he said. Mel rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the ribs. Soda pulled a face of disgust.

"Okay, I'm leaving before I have to hear anything else like that about my sister." He said, getting up off the porch steps. Mel shook her head before turning her attention back to her big brother. If Steve's comment didn't pull him out of his reverie enough to cause reaction, he must be thinking about something pretty hard.

"Hey," she said, pulling him out of his trance. "You okay?"

Darry nodded his head, silently telling her that he didn't want to discuss it any further. He grabbed some of the nearby empty plates and beer cans, mostly courtesy of Two-Bit, before heading inside. Mel watched him go with a look of both sadness and curiosity, wondering what had him so vexed.

Shaking her mind clear of the thoughts, she leaned across Dal's lap and hit Two-Bit on the back of the head.

"Seriously, those kinds of comments may actually get you into trouble one day. What would Kathy say?" she asked.

"Speaking of which, where is the missus tonight, man?" Dally asked.

"She's not feeling well." Two-Bit said. "When I went to her house this morning she was sick so she called in sick for work and stayed in bed all day."

"Come to think of it, she was a little pale yesterday." Mel said. "I Hope she's okay."

"Hey, how about some of that chocolate cake, Mel?" Steve asked from his spot on the porch steps. Mel looked at him incredulously before shifting her feet to kick him in the head.

"Uhh, how about no." She said. "I cooked you dinner and let you stay in my house, but I ain't no goddamned maid."

The others all looked at each other silently, waiting for someone to get up and get dessert. Finally, Ponyboy sighed and got out of his seat.

"I'll go get it." He said. The others grinned in thanks.

"Gee, thanks Ponyboy." Two-Bit smiled. Ponyboy rolled his eyes, the most common trait of the Curtis children, and headed inside.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Sooo..." Two-Bit said, casually sipping on what had to be his sixth beer. "New Year's is in...three days."

"Quick! Someone go get Channel 5!" Steve said dramatically. "Two-Bit can count!"

"Har, har, har." Two-Bit drawled. "Boy, you're a riot Stevie."

"Yeah, well when you don't have brains, looks or personality, something has to come in handy." Mel laughed. Steve mock glared at her, placing his hand over his heart.

"You cut me deep, Mel." He said. Mel grinned and blew him a kiss.

"_Anyways,_" Two-Bit interrupted. "What's the plan this year? Same as always?"

"What? You mean you all come 'round here, drink our booze, eat our food and pass out somewhere...probably our couch or our yard?" Soda laughed.

"So, a normal night for us?" Johnny wondered.

"Well, why not?" Two-Bit asked. Mel shrugged her shoulders.

"Sure, I guess." She said. "I mean, we'll have to check with Darry, but it should be okay. I mean, he's never really had a problem with it before. Neither did Mom and Dad." Two-Bit grinned brightly.

"Alright! So, I'm thinking..."

"God help us." Dally said. Two-Bit went to glare at him, but chose to ignore and continue.

"As I was saying...I'm thinking a bonfire; A little music, a lot of booze...maybe some fireworks, if we can."

"You can get fireworks again?" Ponyboy wondered. "Even after last time?"

"I have connections." Two-Bit shrugged.

"Meaning they fell off the back of a truck." Mel laughed. She took her DX cap off her head and put it on Dally. He glared at his girl, yet made no more to take off the cap.

"Hey, our New Years Eve parties are tuff enough." Two-Bit defended. "And besides, it wasn't my fault last time. Steve was the one who aimed them at the window."

"Yeah, Pop wasn't too happy about that one." Soda laughed. The others all had a good laugh about it as they remembered.

"Oh god...I'll never forget the year we found Two-Bit passed out on the roof." Mel laughed.

"How the hell _did_ you end up there anyway?" Dal asked. Two-Bit shrugged and finished off another beer.

"Glory, I didn't know then and I sure as hell don't know now." He chuckled.

"It's getting pretty late." Soda said, leaning back a bit to check the clock in the hallway. "Steve, we got work tomorrow." His friend nodded and got up off the porch steps.

"I guess I better head off too." Two-Bit said. "Wanna crash at my place, Johnnycake?"

The younger boy nodded and said goodbye before leaving with Two-Bit and Steve. Soda and Ponyboy said goodnight before heading inside to their room. Mel leaned her head back so she was looked at Dal.

"You gonna go?" she asked. Dal grinned and kissed her.

"And give up that comfy bed? No way." He laughed. Mel smiled and shook her head before getting up. The two got up and packed up the remaining rubbish before heading to bed.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Darry woke up with the sun shining in his eyes. He pulled himself out of bed and looked out his window. He saw that the twins' car was gone, meaning that Soda had gone to work already. He silently cursed himself, realizing that he had slept in far longer than he had initially intended. Sticking his head out of his bedroom door, he looked at the time on the clock in the hallway. It was early afternoon!

"Damn it!"

He left his room, and looked around the house quickly, wondering if anyone else was home. Both the boys' and Mel's bedroom doors were opened, telling him that he was alone. Not wanting to waste any more time, Darry decided to skip breakfast and headed to the bathroom. He jumped into the shower, silently thanking his siblings for being kind enough to leave him some hot water.

When he was done, he headed back into his room looked the first thing he could find to wear. He grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and got changed. Before he left, Darry walked over to his bedside drawer and searched inside. Beside the letter from his parents, lay the object or his search. He grabbed it, shoved it in his pocket before getting his keys and racing out to the truck.

After what seemed like hours, Darry pulled up outside his destination; Ginny's place.

Darrell Curtis Jr. had had his fair share of heartbreak over the last year or so. He thought that his heart had recovered... but he thought wrong. Darry could have sworn that he could feel his heart shatter into a million tiny pieces at what he saw.

Every window in the house was boarded up, as well as the door. All the boxes that he had seen the day before had vanished. Darry got out of the truck, hoping that he was just dreaming. But it was no dream. As he circled the house, the cracks in his heart became deeper and deeper. What was once a friendly and inviting home was now desolate and abandoned. It was as if there was no sign of anyone ever living there. He would have believed it if he didn't know the truth.

Darry let his head drop. Deep down, he knew she wouldn't stay. But no matter how much he knew it, he begged himself not to believe it. A single tear fell down his cheek, burning his skin, as he held the small object in his pocket.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Got any threes?" Soda asked. Ponyboy grinned and shook his head.

"Go fish."

Soda sighed and picked up yet another card from the deck. He, Ponyboy and Johnny were sitting in the middle of the living room floor playing 'Go Fish'. He had finished work early that afternoon and met up with Mel, Dal, Pony and Johnny in the lot on his way home from work. The other two were lying on the couch together relaxing.

"Any sevens?" Pony asked. Soda groaned and handed his seven over to his little brother. Pony grinned triumphantly, adding yet another pair to his pile.

"Remind me again why you three are playing a little kid's game?" Dal asked.

"Go fish is not just a little kid's game, Dal." Soda said, focusing all his attention on his cards. Dal rolled his eyes and turned to Mel for a straight answer.

"It's an old favourite." She said. "Besides, it's one card game where Sodiepop here can't cheat!"

"Hey!"

"Well, it's still lame." Dal said. Mel shook her head.

"No it's not." She insisted. "What about when I had the chickenpox? You and Two-Bit played like a thousand games of Go Fish with me."

"We had to play it through the window." Dal reminded her. Mel couldn't help but smile at the memory.

She caught chickenpox when she was thirteen, and was kept in complete quarantine for what seemed like an eternity to her and the gang.

_Flashback_

_Thirteen year old Melody tossed yet another auto magazine aside. She was thankful that her brothers had gotten them for her, but there were only so many times you can read one magazine cover-to-cover. She sighed and sat back on her pillows, trying to think of something to occupy herself for a little while._

"_Pssst!"_

_Mel looked around her room for the source of the noise. But she couldn't see anything or anyone. Which probably was a good thing, considering that only her parents and Darry had had chickenpox before. _

"_Pssst! Out the window, dummy!"_

_Mel looked out her window and saw Two-Bit and Dally outside her window. She couldn't help grin as she got out of bed and walked over to her window. She opened the frame and rested her arms on the window sill. _

"_What are you doing here?" Mel asked. "I'm still sick...you'll catch it too."_

"_Wow...look at you. You look like a leopard!" Two-Bit laughed. Mel glared at him and slapped the back of his head._

"_Seriously though, why are you guys here?" she asked again. Dal reached inside his pocket and pulled out a deck of cards._

"_Saves you from being bored out of your skull." He said. Mel grinned. "What ever game you want."_

"_Aww you guys are sweet." She said. Two-Bit grinned while Dal looked like he was gonna be sick._

"_I ain't sweet." He insisted. Mel rolled her eyes and smiled. Two-Bit went and got a couple of old chairs for them to sit on and put them by her window._

"_So kid, what'll it be?" Dal asked, shuffling the cards. "Blackjack? Poker? 52 pick up?"_

"_Go fish." Mel said. _

"_What?" Dal asked. Mel grinned._

"_Go fish." She repeated. _

"_That's a little kid's game." He scoffed. Mel crossed her arms and pouted._

"_You said whatever game I want." She said. Dal was about to protest, but sighed and started dealing the cards instead. Two-Bit merely chuckled and shook his head, amazed at the power that Mel had over Dal._

_End Flashback_

"I honestly thought you two were idiots for risking catching it." Mel said. Long story short, after their games, Two-Bit caught chickenpox himself. But at least he wasn't alone; he had Mel to keep him company, even after she got better.

"Hey, I didn't get sick." Dal pointed out. Mel laughed and cuddled closer to him.

"Yeah, cause you're just too damn tuff to get sick." She said sarcastically.

"Damn straight." Dal said. Mel rolled her eyes.

"The point is that you still played it _and _without any complaints too." She said. Dal was about to respond but the sound of the screen door opening interrupted his thoughts.

"Hey Darry." Mel smiled. But her older brother remained silent as he put his keys on the table. Mel cocked her head to the side.

"Darry?"

By now, the guys had forgotten about their game and had turned their attention to their Darry, wondering what was going on. With a shaky breath, the eldest Curtis looked up at them. The five kids were shocked to find Darry's eyes red and puffy. They knew that he had been crying for some reason. Immediately, they thought the worst. The last time they saw him like that...was the night of the accident.

"Darry...what happened?" Ponyboy asked quietly. Darry was quiet an awfully long time, as if trying to figure out how to word his reply.

"She's gone." He said simply. There was no question about who he was talking about.

"What do you mean 'she's gone'?" Soda wondered. Darry sighed.

"She's gone...and she's not coming back." And with that, he headed to his room and shut the door behind him. The five remaining were in complete shock. They sat in silence, trying to comprehend what they had just been told. Finally, Melody snapped out of it and went into 'mother-mode'.

"Uhhh...alright." she said. "Soda, I need you to go find me the strongest stuff we got."

Soda nodded and dropped his cards before getting to his feet and heading into the kitchen. The others could hear him practically tearing the kitchen apart in a frantic search. Mel sighed and turned to Dal.

"Why don't you take them to the lot or something?" she suggested. Dal silently nodded his head and got up off the couch. "Just be back before dark."

"What are you gonna do?" Johnny asked. Mel sighed and ran her hand through her hair.

"Damage control."

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Darry?"

Mel quietly knocked on her brother's door, hoping to a reply. In her hand she held a glass of vodka that Soda had found.

"Dar? It's me. I'm coming in okay?"

She pushed the door open ever so gently. She was met with the sight of her older brother; the strong, brave, superhero of their family, lying on his side on his bed, with his back facing her. Mel sighed and closed the door behind her. Walking over to the bed, she placed the glass on the opposite bedside drawer and sat down next to him.

"Wanna talk?" she asked. Darry remained silent. Mel sighed once again and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Please Darry."

After a moment or two, Darry shifted and turned around so he was facing her. He sighed and sat up, leaning his back against the headboard, much like Mel. His sister reached across and handed him the glass. He accepted it wordlessly and sipped it.

"She just left." He said. "When I went over there yesterday, she was packing boxes. I didn't want to think anything of it, but I guess I knew all along."

"Did she say why?" Mel asked.

"She had no money. Eileen gambled it all away before she died." Darry explained. "The car was repossessed and she was fired from one of her jobs.

"I had been racking my brain for the past week trying to think of ways to help her."

"That's why you were so quiet yesterday." Mel said, more to herself. Darry nodded and finished the last of his drink.

"I couldn't come up with much. Just one crazy idea." He said.

"What?" Mel asked. Darry said nothing, but picked something up from beside him. It was a small box. He opened it and showed his sister what was inside; a simple gold band with a small diamond in the front.

"...Mom's ring."

When their children were young, Margaret and Darrel Curtis made a list of who their wedding bands would go to when they were older. Darry and Sodapop would get their mother's engagement and wedding rings respectively. Margaret had hoped that her two eldest sons would give them to the girls that they had intended to marry. Melody was given her father's wedding ring, which she kept in a small jewellery box that belonged to her mother. Ponyboy was given their father's class ring from high school; a token that he had admired from a young age and therefore a present from both his parents.

Upon seeing the ring, Melody then understood.

"Oh my god...Darry..." she said sadly. Darry shrugged.

"I had it all planned out." He said. "Then this happened so I thought I'd ask her sooner. I guess it wasn't supposed to be then." Mel sighed sadly.

"I can't help but think..." Darry started. "If I had gotten their earlier, maybe I could have convinced her to stay."

"I'm sorry, Darry." Mel said. "But it sounds like she had this planned for a little while."

"Guess you're right." Darry admitted quietly.

"I really am sorry."

"It's not your fault." Darry said softly. The two sat in silence for a moment before Darry put his glass down and went to get off the bed.

"I gotta go start dinner." He said. Mel shook her head and pulled him back.

"Soda's got it covered." She explained. "Dal took Pony and Johnny to the lot for a bit. They should be back before dark." Darry sighed and sat back down on the bed.

"Thanks." He said.

"What are families for?" Mel wondered, resting her head on his shoulder. Darry sighed and rested his head on top of hers. And that's how they stayed for a little while; both in silence, but nothing needed to be said. Both now understood the pain of saying goodbye to love.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"I swear, it almost killed me to see him like that." Mel said. It was later that night, and everyone else had gone to bed. Dal was sitting on the couch, with Mel in his lap. Her legs were pulled up close to her chest, with one of Dal's arms wrapped around them.

"The last time I had seen him like that was when mom and dad died." She explained. "The night of the accident, when he knew he couldn't go to college...and now this."

"Superman's strong. He'll be okay." Dally said, trying to comfort her.

"I know. But I know what its like," Mel said. "This kind of heartbreak isn't easy to fix."

Dal pulled her closer, trying his best to calm her down a little. Mel sighed, hoping to god that he was right; that things would work out soon, for all their sakes.


	52. Nightmares

**A/N: Hey everyone! First off I just want to say that I'm still overwhelmed with the amount of faves and reviews and alerts I've been getting for this story =) I love you all!**

okay, so this was originally going to be done in one long chapter, but then I came up with the beginning bit and then I thought that I might be a little mean and leave you all in suspense, which is kind of a good thing for me cause then I get time to figure out the next part between updates.

**So yeah...hope you all like this chapter :) and please, read the other A/N at the end...it's kinda important  
Happy Reading!**

_The gang reached the vacant lot just as Dally came in, running as hard as he could, from the opposite direction. The wail of a siren grew louder and louder. She tried to figure out where the dreadful sound was coming from. Suddenly a police car pulled up across the street from the lot. Doors slammed as the policemen leaped out. Her eyes widened as she watched Dally reach the circle of light under the street lamp. Skidding to a halt, he turned and jerked a black object from his waistband. _

_All of a sudden, everything fell silent. To her, it was just like that movie, West Side Story; where everything surrounding them melted away in slow motion. She looked around and saw her brothers and friends shouting out at something, yet no sound could be heard. _

_Dally raised the gun. She had never seen that look on his face. It was a mixture of grief, loss and desperation. He was jerked half around by the impact of the bullets; then slowly crumpled with a look of grim triumph on his face. He was dead before he hit the ground._

_She felt herself scream as time resumed once again. She ran forward towards him and skidded to oh her knees, not caring about her own well being. But it was no use. She beat her fists against his chest, yelling and screaming for him to wake up, but he wouldn't. She let out an excruciating scream before so threw herself over his lifeless body. It was then she felt something warm against her cheek. Slowly, she raised her head and looked down at herself. Her once white shirt and hands were now covered in his blood..._

Screaming, Melody shot up out of bed, gasping for breath. Her hair stuck to her forehead in a cold sweat. Cautiously, she looked over her shoulder to find Dal, shirtless and blissfully asleep beside her, as if her screaming hadn't fazed him at all. Mel tried to steady her heartbeat as she ran her hand through her hair. That had to be the most life-like and terrifying nightmare she had ever had in her life, even after the accident.

Once again she looked down at the boy sleeping beside her. She tried to push the image of his face in her dream aside as she focused on the here and now. His hair was standing in all directions as he clung to the pillow tightly. His left arm, which was lazily draped over her stomach up until her abrupt awakening only moments before, now rested on her thigh after being thrown off in panic.

Mel sighed and released herself from Dal's grip before swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Sodapop kicked a pair of jeans out of his path as he silently made his way to his bedroom door. He had no idea what time it was, or if it was morning or night. All he knew was that he wanted a glass or milk, and that was more than enough reason to get out of bed.

After sneaking into the hallway, careful not to wake anyone else up, Soda glanced at the clock. It was only half past two in the morning. As he walked down the hall, he noticed that Mel's bedroom door was open, which was strange. Soda walked up to the door and looked inside, confused as to why only Dal was in there.

As he headed into the kitchen, Soda stopped suddenly when he saw a figure sitting on the countertop, staring out the window. Mel sat with her knees curled into her chest, just glancing out at nothing in particular. The moonlight coming in from the window revealed tear stains down her cheeks. Her hair was a complete mess; sticking up in all directions. Her curls were everywhere, making her look as though she hadn't slept in days.

"Hey." Soda said quietly. Mel pulled her gaze away from the window and looked at her twin. Soda walked over to her and stood beside her.

"You okay?" he asked. Mel sighed deeply and shrugged her shoulders. Soda sighed and stood in front of her. Mel moved her knees from her chest so they were handing over the countertop. Soda pushed some hair out of her eyes and looked at her. His face unable to voice nothing but concern for his twin sister.

"Bad dream." She said quietly. Although those two works meant nothing in comparison to what she had just seen in vivid detail.

"What happened?" soda wondered. Fresh tears fell down Mel's cheeks as visions of her nightmare flashed through her mind. The panic, the sirens, the gunshots, the blood...

She clenched her eyes tight, trying to magic them away. Soda pulled her into his arms and helped her off the counter. Carrying her in his arms, he headed into the living room and over to the couch. There was only one other time that she had had a nightmare that had shaken her up this badly and that was after the accident. So whatever it was, it must have spooked her something fierce.

The two curled up on the couch, with Soda wrapping his arms protectively around her, holding her close. Mel snuggled into his embrace. A feeling of total protection washed over her. It was as if he could fight everything that was trying to hurt her; nothing could harm her when she was with him.

"What happened?" he asked softly. Mel sighed a shaky breath and focused her attention on the wall in front of her.

"We...we were all running. There were cop cars and sirens...but then it all...went quiet. And he...he got shot...he fell and he...he..."

That was as far as she got before she broke down crying again. Soda held her tighter and ran his hand through her hair soothingly. Who was the he she was talking about? With seven or so guys in the gang it wasn't really the easiest thing to pick who it could be.

"Shhh," he whispered. "It's okay...nothing's gonna get ya. I promise."

The two stayed like that for a while. Eventually, they were both getting sleepy. Soda glanced down at his sister.

"You want me to take you to your room?" he asked. Mel yawned and shook her head.

"Not really...I honestly don't feel too good. But if you wanna move..." She said.

"Nah, it's okay." He said. Mel nodded and got comfortable once again. Soda shook his head and settled back down to sleep.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Mel woke up later that morning still on the couch. She was feeling even worse than the night before. The only difference was that Soda was gone. Mel glanced over at the clock and saw that it was around ten am, meaning that Soda and Darry would already be at work. She sat up a little and stretched her arms. It was then she noticed Dally dozing in the arm chair.

Not a moment later, said hoodlum began to stir, as if he knew that she was thinking about him. Pretty soon, he opened his eyes and looked around a little before finally looking at Mel.

"You're awake." He said sleepily. Mel nodded.

"How come you're out here?" she asked. Dal cracked his neck and got out of the arm chair and sat down beside her.

"Soda told me about last night." He said gravely. Mel's eyes widened and mumbled something about not being able to keep his mouth shut.

"He's just worried about you." He said. Mel sighed.

"Anyone else?" she asked. Dal shook his head.

"No, just me." He explained. Mel nodded and started fiddling with her hands. Suddenly, she felt sick, literally sick. She jumped out of Dal's arms and sprinted to the bathroom. Dal looked on with a mixture of confusion and worry as he heard her throwing up in the bathroom.

About five minutes later, she came back looking paler than a ghost.

"You okay?" Dal asked as she walked back to the couch. She nodded her head hesitantly.

"I'm fine... I think." She said. Dal nodded his head.

The two sat in silence for a little while. Mel rested her head on Dal's shoulder while he played with her hair.

"So...you gonna tell me who it was?" he asked suddenly. Mel sat up and looked at him.

"What?" she wondered.

"In your dream...who got shot?" he asked. If it was possible, Mel's face went whiter.

"Do we really have to...?"

"Look, this scared you." Dal said. "I wanna know what happened so that it can't hurt you."

Mel sighed and tried to think of something to say to him. She couldn't tell him that it was him that was gunned down by the cops. She racked her brain trying to think of something to tell him.

"Steve." she blurted out. Dal looked at her in confusion. "It...it was Steve."

"Steve...like, _Steve_ Steve?" Dal wondered. Mel nodded her head, afraid that her voice would betray her and let slip the truth. Dal rolled his eyes.

"That idiot would do something to get himself shot." He muttered. Mel could only nod, knowing how too true his words really were.

About an hour went by. Dal stayed close to Mel as if protecting her, but it was kind of annoying. What was going to hurt her in her own home? And her feeling terrible and running off to the bathroom every twenty minutes didn't really help at all. Finally, she had had enough and told him to go to Buck's or something. It took him a little convincing, but Dal finally agreed.

"You sure you'll be okay?" he asked for what had to be the thousandth time. Mel rolled her eyes and practically pushed him out the front door.

"Yes! I'll be fine." she said. "Kathy said she may come over today anyways, so go."

"Alright." Dal said, sighing in defeat. Mel grinned.

"Go win some cash or something." She said. "Then you can take me out for a change."

Dal glared at her, but smirked anyway. He kissed her cheek before leaving the house and heading over to Bucks.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Later that afternoon, Kathy sat on the arm of the couch as she waited for Melody to finish up in the bathroom. She had been throwing up on and off since she got there, and that was a good half an hour ago. But Melody said that it had been going on all morning and it was now starting to worry her. She cringed as she head Mel throwing up once more.

"Honey...are you okay?" she asked. Finally, she heard the toilet flushing and the bathroom door opened. Melody stumbled out of the bathroom and collapsed onto the couch.

"You look like shit." Kathy said simply. Melody lifted her head and scowled at her friend.

"Thank you." She said sarcastically. "Glad to know that you're taking extra care to spare my

feelings."

"Well, it's true." Kathy said, shrugging her shoulders.

"You don't look so good either." Mel said. "You feeling any better?"

"What? Oh, yeah. I think I just caught one of those twenty-four hour things, you know." Kathy said. Mel nodded her head in understanding

"But the truth is I feel like shit." she said. "I haven't been able to stop being sick all morning."

"Do you have any idea why?" Kathy wondered. Mel shrugged.

"Not really. Soda cooked something weird for dinner last night so it could be that." She said. Kathy looked at her friend for a moment, trying to figure out what was making her sick. Pretty soon, realization dawned. Mel opened her eyes and looked at her friend, kind of weirded out by the constant staring.

"What?" Mel wondered.

"Maybe it wasn't Soda's cooking that made you sick." Kathy said. Melody cocked her eyebrow in confusion. If it wasn't Soda's weird-ass cooking that was making her sick...what was it?

"What are you talking about?" she asked. Kathy sent her a knowing look, which didn't make anything clearer for Mel. Subtly, Kathy's gaze left Mel's eyes and travelled down to her stomach, then back up again. Mel was still confused…but then it hit her.

"No. No! No way, not happening." She said, getting up off the couch. Kathy rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Mel…"

"No, Kathy. I'm not…it's not…" Melody stuttered. Kathy scoffed.

"Oh please, you can't tell me that it's not a possibility?" she wondered. Mel looked at her friend in utter disbelief. She sighed and ran her hand through her hair nervously.

"Well…yeah, it's a possibility…but…"

"But nothing. Mel...I think you could be pregnant." Kathy said.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Two-Bit was walking across the lawn, up to the Curtis house. Mel and Kathy were inside and he thought he would surprise them by taking them out for the day.

He ran up the front steps and was about to open the door when he heard voices coming from inside. Usually he wouldn't listen in; he knew that the girls would kick his ass if he got caught. But there was something about their voices that was a little worrying.

"Oh please, you can't tell me that it's not a possibility?" he heard Kathy say. What were they talking about? What wasn't a possibility? He heard Mel sigh.

"Well…yeah, it's a possibility…but…"

"But nothing. Mel...I think you could be pregnant." Kathy said. Two-Bit's eyes widened as his girlfriend said those words to his best friend. He moved closer to the door so he could hear better.

**A/N2: DUN! DUN! DUN! OMG! Mel could be pregnant? Uh-oh :S Well there you have it...the last Sneak Peek has been revealed. **

**...and I know I really made Dal ooc in this chapter...but I hope it's not that bad.**

Haha. So I hope you all enjoyed that. I'm just gonna take a minute to explain a few things  


**The reason that it was that particular scene for Mel's nightmare is because I'm still undecided about how I'm actually going to do that scene when the time comes. I love the way that it was written in the book [even if Dally does die], so I thought I would include it anyways =)**

**I'm only a teenager, I don't exactly know about morning sickness and all that stuff, because I was too young to remember when my sister was born. So If I'm a little off, please don't judge. Also, it will actually make more sense in the next chapter.**

**So I really hope you enjoyed it... please REVIEW... it's quite crucial for this chapter to be honest...I need to know what you all think about this in order to fix the next update. Also, what do you think some of the reactions would be? Let me know!**


	53. Possibilities

**A/N: Hey everyone...wow... I'm really on a roll with these updates :P I hope you're all enjoying them. This might be the last for a little while cause I have exams this week and all [wish me luck...I'll need it :P] so I hope this will do until then. Also, the next chapter will probably be New Years so I'll need some ideas for that. Come on, this gang at new years? I'm sure that will get everyone's minds going mad lol**

**Okay, I do realize that home pregnancy tests came about the mid to late 70's, but **

**a) ****I didn't really want to write the whole hospital test scene...less dramatic.**

**b) ****This way is much more fun to read and write...more drama and better reactions.**

**c) ****I don't really care...just pretend they were around in the 60's.**

**So please don't send me a message telling me that I was wrong and have the dates mixed up or whatever...cause I already know and it was intentional. Also, I do realize that Dal is definitely OOC in this chapter...but I honestly think it works, so please no flames or messages telling me that it's unrealistic...cause well, yeah :P**

**Okay? Good. So yeah, I hope you all enjoy the chapter**

oOoOoOoOoOo

"What am I gonna do?" Mel cried, collapsing back onto the couch. "I'm seventeen! I can't have a kid!"

She hid her face away behind her hands and tried to calm down and not go into panic mode. Kathy sighed and walked over to her, prying her hands away from her face.

"Alright, well before you go and have a huge panic attack, we need to go and find out if you actually are...well, you know." she said, stepping into 'mother-mode'. Mel sighed and nodded, finally managing to steady her breathing.

"Come on, we'll go down to the drugstore on Sutton. You can get a test and then we'll go from there, alright?" Kathy asked. Once again, Mel nodded before looked at her friend in complete awe.

"How did you get so good at this?" she asked incredulously. Kathy shrugged.

"Been there, done that." She said, waving her hand as if she was dismissing the idea. Mel's eyes widened.

"What?" she exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me?" Kathy rolled her eyes.

"Not me you idiot." She said. "Scott's ex."

"Ohh." Mel said. "Which one?"

"I don't know. So, are we gonna go or not?" Kathy asked. Melody sighed and nodded as she got up off the couch.

"One thing though." She said. "Nobody and I mean _NOBODY_ can find out about this."

"Like I'm going to tell anyone." Kathy said, rolling her eyes.

"I mean it, K. That's the last thing I need." Mel said as she grabbed her shoes and jacket. "Can you imagine how any of the guys would react to this...my brothers...Oh Christ, I don't even want to think about Darry...or Dallas for that matter."

"Relax kiddo," Kathy said, cringing at the thought of one of the guys finding out. "You might not have to worry about anything. Let's go."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Two-Bit couldn't believe what he was hearing. Melody could be pregnant? He swore that he could feel his brain about to explode and pour out his ears. He ran from the front door and down the steps. He just made it outside the gate when the girls came out.

"Two-Bit...what are you doing here?" Mel asked nervously. She silently begged to herself that he hadn't heard anything. Two-Bit struggled with his voice, trying to find something to say.

"Oh...I uhh...I was gonna take you guys out today." He said. it wasn't a lie.

"Oh, that's really sweet, honey." Kathy said as she pulled Mel down the steps. "But we gotta run."

"Where y'all goin'?" Two-Bit wondered. The girls looked at each other.

"Just gotta run down to the store." Mel said. "You're more than welcome to tag along...if you wanna talk girl problems."

Two-Bit scrunched his face up. He knew it was just a cover-up, but he still didn't wanna think about anything like that.

"No, it's alright...I gotta go anyway." He said. He waved to the girls quickly before walking down the road.

"Nice touch." Kathy said. Mel smiled.

"Hey, I might be completely freaked out but I still know how to mess with him." She said.

"Speaking of which...when did you last see your...'little friend'?" Kathy asked. Melody rolled her eyes and thought about it. Suddenly, her eyes went wide as she remembered what she was thinking about only the previous morning.

"We gotta get to the store." She said, grabbing Kathy's hand and pulling her over to the car. Kathy offered to drive seeing as how Mel couldn't really focus on much else at the moment. As the two got in, Mel had a thought.

"You don't think he heard anything...do you?" she asked worriedly. Kathy thought about it for a moment before shaking her head.

"No, I don't think so. I mean, he would have said something. He can't really keep his mouth shut about things, can he?" she wondered.

"I hope for my sanity that you're right." Mel said.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Two-Bit walked along in a complete daze. There was a high possibility that his best friend was pregnant. He was happy for her, don't get me wrong. But he wondered about what she thought about the whole situation.

Were she and Dal ready for a kid? They were both only seventeen. Dally left school long ago and didn't have a job, and Mel was still in school, worked part time and was still looking after her brothers at home. That would be another story entirely...her brothers. He had no idea how they would react to their sister being pregnant.

But one thing was for sure...Dally had to know. Two-Bit knew that it wasn't his place to say anything. But whether she was or not, he wasn't sure if Mel would tell him.

Two-Bit was so consumed by his thoughts that he didn't realize that he had arrived at Buck's. After all those years of partying there, his feet must have known the way by now.

As he crossed the road and walked up the front steps, Two-Bit decided against saying anything to Dal. Sure, he was known to have a reputation for being a big mouth, but this was Melody; his best friend...he wouldn't betray her trust like that...even if she didn't know that he knew.

It was still early in the day and already people were over at Buck's. That or they were still crashed after last night's party. After a quick wave to Buck, who was playing cards in the main living room, Two-Bit headed over to the refrigerator and helped himself to a beer.

"Read 'em an weep, Shepard." A familiar voice cried out from the living room. It was Dally. Two-Bit sighed to himself. Him being here would definitely make things a little harder.

"I'm getting a beer. Pay up." Dally said as he got up from the table. He was a little surprised to see Two-Bit there.

"Hey man." He said. Two-Bit nodded a greeting. Dal grinned a little and threw a small metal object at him. Two-Bit flinched a little before catching it. It was a harmonica

"Just scored that off one of the guys in there. Thought you'd like it. It's loud and annoying, just like you." Dal said, laughing at his own joke. Two-Bit didn't respond as he put his new toy into his jacket pocket.

"So, what are you doing here?" Dal asked. Two-Bit shrugged and took a sip of his beer, leaning casually against the countertop.

"Uhh...why wouldn't I be here?" he asked. Dal shrugged.

"I thought you'd be with the girls or something." he said.

"They had something to do." Two-Bit said, taking another sip and hoping to god that Dal would drop it. Dal nodded his head as he opened the refrigerator.

"Probably a good thing too." He said. "Mel was completely freaked out about this morning."

Two-Bit's eyes widened a little. Mel was freaked out? Was it possible that Dal already knew?

"Fr-freaked out?" he questioned.

"Yeah, she had a nightmare last night. Pretty bad one too." Dal explained. Two-Bit let out a rather large sigh of relief. He was too focused on not letting slip that he didn't notice Dal watching him.

Dal grabbed a beer and shut the refrigerator, not taking his eyes off his buddy. Two-Bit noticed and was determined to look away.

"You know something." Dally said. It wasn't a question, but a statement. Two-Bit shrugged and refused to make eye contact with him. Dally put his beer down and walked over to him.

"What is it?" he asked.

"What's what?" Two-Bit wondered innocently.

"What are you not telling me?" Dally asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about Dal. What makes you think I'm not telling you something?" Two-Bit asked.

"I know you." Dal said. "You're all jumpy and shit...you only do that if you know something. Besides, you just had one hell of a sigh, man."

Two-Bit was astounded. Since when was Dal so perceptive? Or was he just predictable and far too obvious. That didn't matter now... he was determined not to say anything. Melody would never forgive him. Dal sighed and leaned casually against the counter, waiting for an answer.

"I ain't hiding nothing." Two-Bit said firmly.

"Don't bullshit me, man." Dal warned. But Two-Bit stood his ground.

"Alright, if you're gonna be like that. I'll weasel it out of ya. Is it important?" Dal enquired. Two-Bit looked at his beer can. Dally took this as a yes.

"Okay, if it was good news than you would have told me already...so it's bad." Dal concluded, more to himself. He stood in silence for a moment, trying to figure it out. Then he thought of something.

"Is it about Melody?" Dally asked slowly. Two-Bit looked away instantly, yet unintentionally. Dally's eyes narrowed as he grabbed Two-Bit by the shirt.

"What is it?" he demanded.

"I can't say." Two-Bit said.

"Don't bullshit! If it's about Melody I gotta know! Now tell me or I'll beat the living shit outta you!" Dal threatened.

"I can't..." Twi-Bit started. Dally raised his fist threateningly, as if he was about to punch him.

"She might be pregnant." Two-Bit blurted out. Dally looked at him in disbelief and let his fist drop to his side, letting go of him immediately.

"Wh...what?" he asked, taking a couple of steps back. Two-Bit looked at him guiltily.

"I'm sorry Dal. She doesn't know that I know. I overheard her and Kathy this morning. She was..."

But Dal wasn't listening anymore. He had already left the kitchen, grabbed his winnings and was already almost halfway down the road. Two-Bit raced out of the house to try and catch up to him.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Melody waited outside in the car, drumming her fingers impatiently on the dash while she waited for Kathy. She was so thankful when Kathy offered to go into the drugstore for her, having been in there before and knew what to look for or what to ask.

She couldn't help thinking about the situation. Sure, she wanted a family of her own someday, she wanted nothing more than to be a mother...but she and Dal were only seventeen! She could barely take care of herself and her brothers, as well as the other guys, let alone a baby. Besides, she wasn't even sure that Dally wanted kids at all. He was always going on about how much he hated little kids.

If she was pregnant, what would she do? She would never consider getting rid of it, or even putting it up for adoption. But how could she take care of it. She was still in school, and Dally didn't work at all. How could they afford to look after a baby when they could barely afford to look after the four of them as it was? Where would it sleep? Would Dal want anything to do with her or the baby or would he leave her...them? She didn't want him to...but she honestly wouldn't blame him if he did.

Mel snapped out of her thoughts instantly. She was getting way too far ahead of herself. First she needed to actually find out is she really was pregnant. Once she was over that hurdle, then she would have to worry about all those things.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, she saw Kathy come out with two small paper bags in her hand.

"Ready to go?" she asked as she got into the car. Mel sighed and nodded as Kathy handed her one of the bags.

"What's in the other bag?" Mel wondered. Kathy looked at her then at the bag in her lap.

"What? Oh. Uh, that's just some new make-up I saw that I thought I'd get." She said, smiling a little as she stuffed the paper bag into her purse. "I ran out of that really nice lipstick that I showed you last week."

Mel looked at her friend in confusion before shrugging it off. Kathy smiled weakly at Mel as she started the car and headed back home. The ride home was quiet, with Mel completely absorbed in her thoughts.

"Can I ask a really pointless and probably tactless question?" Kathy wondered, snapping Melody out of her day dream.

"Sure." Mel said.

"Even though I'm probably paying no attention to your feelings whatsoever and I probably sound like a total bitch for saying it?" Kathy wondered again.

"Yes Kathy." Mel said.

"Would you rather a boy or a girl?" Kathy wondered. Mel fell silent at the question, thinking about the possibilities.

"I don't know. I guess I wouldn't really know how to look after a little girl...I've been around guys for so long!" Mel said, laughing a little.

"I bet if you had a little girl she'd have Dally wrapped around her little finger." Kathy laughed. Mel smiled; she would hope that would be the case.

"Yeah, I'd probably want her to have the same relationship I had with my daddy." Mel said.

"What do you think you're parents would say?" Kathy wondered. Mel smiled.

"Daddy would be angry at me." Mel said. Kathy looked at her in disbelief. She didn't think Mr. Curtis would be like that.

"Angry that you got pregnant?" she wondered. Mel shook her head.

"No... angry at making him a Granddaddy too young." She laughed. She couldn't help but laugh at her father's reaction of being a grandfather at forty.

"They'd be proud of you no matter what, kid." Kathy said. Mel smiled in thanks at her friend as they drove home.

oOoOoOoOoOo

A million thoughts were racing through Dal's mind as he walked to the Curtis house. His girlfriend could be pregnant...with his kid. There was a chance that he would become a father. He used to hate that word, having only the image of his own father to picture. Mr. Curtis was more of a father to him than anybody. But could he ever have a kid of his own?

He had never really thought about it before. Why should he? He hated kids. There was just something about them that really irritated him. The only kids he ever really payed attention to were Pony and Johnny, even though they weren't really kids anymore, and Tommy and Two-Bit's little sister, but they dig okay.

But maybe the only reason he hadn't thought about it...was because he couldn't see it with anyone he had been with in the past.

Besides, he was only seventeen. He was a hood with not much schooling, no job and liked getting into fights for kicks. He drank constantly and smoked more than Ponyboy and Johnny combined. He never knew where he would end up at night; either at the Curtis place, Buck's or in jail. His life wasn't stable. In fact, the only remotely stable thing in his life was Melody.

He would be downright lying if he said that he had never thought of a life with Melody, even for a split second. He knew that she wanted a family. She was such a mother-figure, taking after her own. Dal knew that she would make a great mom one day; there was no doubt about that.

He just couldn't see himself as the father type. His old man was a complete bastard who ran out on him and his mom when he was little, so he never knew anything about it. Hell, if he had a kid, he'd probably screw it up like his old man did.

Not to mention the fact they her brothers would kill him if she was pregnant. They knew that he loved her...at least he hoped they did, and they were alright with them being together, even if it didn't start out that way. Dal shuddered at the memory of Darry's reaction all those months back. He would surely murder him with his bare hands if he got his little sister knocked up.

Dal groaned in frustration as he kicked an empty can across the street in anger. He looked up and recognised the block he was on. It was only two away from the Curtis house. Dal could vaguely hear Two-Bit's voice calling for him halfway down the street, but he just kept walking.

There was only one thing on his mind at that particular moment...he had to find out the truth. Not from Two-Bit or Kathy or anyone else...but from her.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Okay, are you sure you know what to do?" Kathy asked. Mel nodded as she stared at the little box in her hands.

"Yeah thanks." She said. Kathy smiled and rubbed her friend's arm in reassurance.

"I'll be out here okay?" she said. Mel nodded once again and headed into the bathroom. Kathy sighed to herself and sat down on the couch, resting her head on her arm as she waited.

Not a moment had passed before she could hear the sounds of the gate crashing open and hurried footsteps coming up the front porch. Kathy lifted her head as the door opened and Dally stalked in with Two-Bit following close behind.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked, sitting up a little.

"Where is she?" Dally asked, completely ignoring her question.

"What?" Kathy asked.

"Where is she?" Dal repeated. This time he didn't wait for an answer. He saw that her bedroom door was closed, meaning she was in there. Without another word, he stormed over to her door.

"Dally, can't you just wait a minute?" Kathy called out. But he didn't listen. Kathy scowled and turned to her boyfriend. Two-Bit was standing there with his hands in his pockets.

"What the fuck did you say to him?" she demanded. Two-Bit shrugged his shoulders innocently as he sat in the armchair. Kathy simply sighed as she rested her head in her hands, silently cursing her boyfriend's stupidity. But her thoughts were disrupted as she ran to the kitchen feeling sick.

Two-Bit watched her go before looking away once more. He sighed to himself before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his harmonica.

Dally opened Mel's door but she wasn't in there. Sighing to himself he looked around. He heard the door open and turned around. Mel was standing in the doorway looking at the test in her hands. Her eyes went wide when she looked up and saw him.

"Dal, what are you..." she started, trying to hide the test.

"Oh fuck...its true isn't it?" Dal wondered, running his hand through his hair. Mel looked at him in confusion.

"What?" she asked.

"Are you pregnant?" Dal asked, his voice shaking. Mel looked at him in disbelief. How the hell did he know?

"What?"

"Are you pregnant?" Dal repeated slowly.

"How did you…?" Mel asked.

"Two-bit." Dal said simply. Mel sighed and hit her face with her hand.

"Of course." She said. "Fuck...I should have known."

"Well, are you?" Dal pushed, standing nervously in front of her. Mel sighed and sat down on the bed, brought the test out from behind her.

"I don't know yet." She said honestly. "Gotta wait a few minutes." Dally nodded his head nervously as he sat down on the edge of the bed. He was almost sure that a few minutes would kill him.

"Well…if you are…is it…?"he asked, pointing to himself. Mel couldn't believe he was even suggesting that.

"Oh for fuck's sake, Dal! What do you think I am? Of course it would be yours!" she said, slightly hurt that he would think that.

"Sorry…I just…" Dal stuttered. Mel sighed. She knew why he asked. He wasn't always good at picking faithful girls.

"It's okay." She said. The two sat in silence for what seemed like forever. Neither one knew what to say. It seemed like an eternity had passed when Dal finally broke the silence.

"What are you gonna do…if you are?" he wondered. Melody sighed.

"Honestly...I have no fucking idea…what about you?" she asked, nervous about what the answer would be. She looked down at her hands, not wanting to meet his eyes. Dal was quiet for an awfully long time. He knew that anything he said from this point on may or may not make him sound like he's gone soft...but this really wasn't the time to think about his rep.

"I...I wouldn't leave you if that's what you mean." Dal said. Her head snapped up instantly.

"You…you wouldn't?" She asked. She was somewhat surprised, but overjoyed that he wouldn't leave her.

"No. my old man did that to my mom when I was born…I wouldn't do that to my kid." Dal said. Mel couldn't help but smile a little at that.

"Besides…I love you too much, I would never do that to you." Melody smiled up at him. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders when he said that.

Once again silence had fallen over them as the two teenagers thought and the sudden possibility of being parents.

"I don't think I've ever had so much shit going through my mind all at once." Mel said. Dal looked up at her and nodded.

"Yeah, I know." He said.

"I mean, we're both so young. I'm still in school, we have little money. I honestly have no idea how to look after a kid. Where would it sleep, who would look after it when I'm at school or work or where would we live? And you've always said that you don't like kids, so that kinda puts a strain on things..."

She was rambling, something she only did if she was really stressed. Dally sighed, not able to take it any more and moved beside her, taking her in his arms in a bid to calm her down.

"Will you just shut up?" he said, only half serious. Mel calmed down instantly. She sighed and relaxed into his arms. She couldn't stop the stray tear that fell down her cheek.

"God, that is a lot of shit in your mind." Dal joked, trying to cheer her up. Mel smiled weakly and wiped her tears away with her shirt sleeve.

"I'm sorry...I'm just...scared." she said. Dally looked at her with a look of shock and amazement.

"Did the great Melody Curtis just admit that she's scared?" he mocked.

"No." She said stubbornly. Dal simply smirked and held her close. Once again, they were silent. Dal thought to himself quietly. He sighed inwardly as he felt all the sappy feelings and thoughts come back to him...but he didn't try to shut them out this time.

Here, like this, with Mel in his arms, was what he wanted. He thought of the possibilities of having a kid of their own. Not the downsides, but the good things that could possibly come out of it. Well, to start off, it would be his and Mel's kid. It would look like one of them; absolutely beautiful like its mother, who to him was the most beautiful woman on the planet, or it could turn out like him. He could also teach it everything he knows. If it was a boy, he could turn him in to a little greaser, just like his family. Hell, he'd do the same if it was a girl. He could teach them how to play football and to possibly steal things, how to fight.

Suddenly, and although he would never admit it to anyone, especially himself...but he was starting to not completely hate the idea.

"Would it be that bad?" Mel wondered suddenly, pulling Dal out of his thoughts.

"What? Having a kid?" Dal asked. Mel nodded her head. She needed to know how he felt about the situation. He did say that he would never leave her, but that doesn't mean that he's happy about possibly having a kid.

"I guess not." Dal said. Mel's eyes widened. She definitely wasn't expecting that response. She pulled out of his arms and looked up at him.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah, I mean...you'd make a great mom." Dally said. Mel smiled.

"You think so?" she wondered. Dal nodded.

"Yeah."

"Well, I bet you would make a pretty tuff dad." Mel said. Dal shrugged his shoulders.

"I dunno..." he said.

"You don't think so?" Mel wondered. Dal shrugged again.

"I wouldn't know the first thing about raising a kid." he said. Mel rolled her eyes at him.

"And you think I do?" she laughed.

"You've looked after your brothers...and Tommy when he was here." Dal said.

"You used to watch him with me." Mel retorted.

"He was ten." Dal said. Mel sighed.

"Well…if you think about it, it wouldn't be that different to looking after Two-Bit. Except the fact that the baby wouldn't drink and smoke and be a complete dumbass." She said. Dal couldn't help but crack a grin.

"I guess you're right." He said.

"Aren't I always?" Mel wondered. Dal scowled.

"I hate it." he said, shaking his head.

"It would mean having another little greaser around." Mel said. "We could teach him or her everything we know." Mel said.

"Well...I guess it would be pretty cool having a kid." Dal said. Mel grinned as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. It was then she remembered the test.

"I think we can check now." She said. Dal honestly looked a little scared as he nodded his head. He took her hand and smiled at her weakly as she grabbed the test and looked at it.

"Well?" Dal asked eagerly. Mel looked up at him and shook her head.

"I'm not pregnant." She said. Dal's face fell a little.

"Oh." He said. He couldn't deny that he was a little disappointed but he sobered up and put on his tough-guy facade once more.

"It's probably better. I mean, we can't afford it. And we can't raise a kid like this." Mel said. Dal shrugged and nodded.

"Let's...not tell anyone else about this, okay?" she said. Dal nodded instantly. He took her hand and got off the bed. Mel put the test in the trash and followed Dal out into the living room.

Kathy and Two-Bit were waiting in the living room watching TV. Well, Kathy looked as if he was gonna throw up again. She had only just returned from the bathroom after forever, and Two-Bit was humming away on his harmonica. They immediately turned and looked at the couple as they heard them leave the room. Both looked at them with expectant looks on their faces. Mel shook her head in reply. Both Two-Bit and Kathy sent the two an apologetic look as they turned their attention back to the television.

Dal sat down on the couch and pulled Melody closer to him. She sighed and rested her head on his chest. After a few minutes, the front door opened and Steve, Soda and Ponyboy walked in.

"What are you doing here?" Kathy asked. "What happened to school and work?"

"We're all sick thanks to Soda's cooking last night." Ponyboy said, glaring at his brother. He was about to say something else but groaned instead, clutching his stomach before racing off to the bathroom. Melody watched her baby brother run before sending a knowing glance to Kathy. The blonde shrugged innocently and turned her attention back to Mickey Mouse. Soda didn't look to good himself as he sat down in the arm chair.

"You okay, sis?" he asked. Mel looked up at him.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" she asked quietly. Soda shrugged.

"I don't know...you look kinda sad." He said. Melody shook her head.

"I'm just...not feeling well too I guess." She said.

Soda nodded and closed his eyes to rest. Mel sighed to herself as she cuddled closer to Dally. She knew she should be happy with the result, but there was a feeling she just couldn't shake. She never noticed how much she really wanted to be a mother.

oOoOoOoOoOo

By nine o'clock that night, the house was practically silent, with the slight exception of the sound of the shower running. Two-Bit took Kathy home a little after Soda and Pony got home. Darry, the only one not really sick, sent everyone to bed at eight o'clock with a bowl of soup. Both Mel and Dal were quiet for the rest of the night, although they were the only ones who knew why. The others just dismissed it as them feeling sick. Dal was now lying on Mel's bed, waiting for her to get out of the shower. Finally, the bedroom door opened and Mel came inside, dressed and ready for bed.

"I've been thinking." Mel said as she sat down beside him. Dal looked up at her and noticed the look on her face. She wasn't smiling, and she seemed completely focused.

"Yeah?" Dal asked, sitting up to look at her properly. Melody took a deep breath and started fidgeting with her hands.

"Today kinda put things into perspective for me, you know? It was scary and probably couldn't have happened at a worse time." She said, looking at him to see if he was following. Dal nodded his head, silently telling her to continue.

"If we were having a baby...it wouldn't be fair...to any of us. I mean, we're still kids. Our lives aren't exactly what you could call stable...far from it to be perfectly honest. And at the moment, well I know it's not the ideal situation, but it kinda works for us. Then there's the socs."

"What about them?" Dally wondered.

"Every day is like a new fight with them. One of us gets jumped or beaten or thrown in jail." Mel said. "Can you imagine that with a baby? I hardly doubt they'd ease up on it all just because there would be a kid in the picture."

"I guess." Dal said. He wasn't just guessing...he knew she was right. Those bastards would probably target them even more.

"Which is why...I don't want kids." She said finally. Dally looked up at her in complete shock. He definitely wasn't expecting something like that to ever come out of her mouth.

"Wait, what?" he asked. "You mean...ever?"

"I don't know. I wouldn't be fair. I mean, I shouldn't even be thinking about something like that when I have everyone else to look after. And...I know that being a dad's not exactly on the top of your to-do list. So...no. At least not for a long, long time...if ever." Mel said.

"Are you sure?" Dal asked. He couldn't believe what Mel was giving up, even if she didn't realize it herself. Mel sighed and nodded her head. Dally wrapped his arm around her and lifted her onto his lap, holding her close.

**A/N2: Wow...okay, so who was expecting that? Please let me know what you think...more reviews and helpfulness means a break from my exams to type another chapter :P Stay tuned**


	54. New Years Eve

**A/N: Hey everyone! Wow...my first update for 2011! And it's about New Years...Posted on New Years! Okay, I'm so, so, so sorry for my lack of fast updating, but I've had a fair bit on at the moment. Apart from Christmas and New Years, I've been busy finalizing preparations for my trip. I'm off to the US on Wednesday and am so freaking excited! But because I'm now in my final year of school, I have so much holiday homework to do and because of the trip I have one month less than everyone else to do it in. So, this will be my last update for this story til probably February. But I've made it long [15 word pages] so I hope it will do til then.**

**Okay, so I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas [if you celebrate it. If not, a great break] and a wonderful new year. **

**A huge thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I was really overwhelmed at the response. I know a lot of you wanted Mel to actually be pregnant, but I thought it ended better this way. But that's not to say that it is ruled out completely...despite what Melody says ;) also, after this chapter, you'll start to see a lot of things what you should hopefully recognise from the book and movie :)**

**This chapter took me away from my history essay and took me the entire day to write and post for you. Also, a huge thanks to my PIC [she knows who she is] for all the help with the ideas. Some of them are references to other things that I've tweaked also. But I've had most of this already written in my mind for months but just had to put in the finer details, so thank you so much! And another thing, kind of a warning; this chapter contains a lost of moments where Dallas is Very, very OOC. But I had this proof read and they said it was fine, so I hope you enjoy it and please don't flame telling me what I already know. If you like it, great feel free to send a review. If not, keep your comments to yourself. After all, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.**

**Okay! So I shall talk to you all when I return from the US! Much love and enjoy the chapter! x**

"Move it or lose it, moron." Steve called out, carrying a huge box inside. After Johnny pulled Two-bit out of the way, the older teen passed, soon followed by Sodapop. As they headed in, they noticed two six packs of Bud on the couch.

"Where are they from?" soda asked.

"I stole these from a bunch of Socs in the woods by pretending to be the Fuzz. That spotlight I got last week is really turning a profit." Two-Bit said.

"That's just...unbelievable." Soda said.

"Am I a genius?" he asked.

"No, you're an asshole." Steve retorted.

"Ha, ha. What a funny guy!" Two-Bit said, causing Steve to flip him off.

"Unbelievable." Soda repeated.

"Unbelievably brilliant?" Two-Bit wondered.

"No, just unbelievable."

"How many boxes is that now?" Johnny asked, hoping to prevent another argument. Both Steve and Soda stopped for a moment, silently calculating with each other.

"Six or seven." Steve shrugged. Two-Bit's eyes lit up instantly at the thought of six, or even seven full boxes of some kind of alcohol, ready for the party that night. On their way down the hall, they saw Dal leaning against the wall by Mel's bedroom door, looking rather impatient as he knocked on the door.

"Mel, come on. Open the door" He pleaded, listening intently for a reply. He got nothing. Groaning in frustration, Dal knocked again.

Soda and Steve looked at each other confused before glancing over at the couch for answers. Kathy tore her eyes away from the TV and shrugged her shoulders helplessly.

"No idea what its about." she said. "But Mel took a whole tub of peanut butter with her."

"Ouch." Soda said. Kathy nodded and returned her attention back to her show while the guys made their way into the kitchen. Dal was still pounding his fist against the door, wanting inside the room.

"Babe, open the door."

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the bedroom door opened. Dal opened his mouth to say something, but Mel grabbed him by his jacket collar and pulled him inside the room, slamming the door behind her.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, the two teens had begun to unpack the boxes, displaying a range of different bottles and cans on the table. The screen door slammed and the sound of footsteps made their way into the kitchen.

"Look who I found outside." Ponyboy said. The other two looked up from their stash and saw a familiar blonde girl leaning against the kitchen wall.

"Well, hey there Miss Angela." Soda greeted with a beaming grin. Angela smiled.

"Hey guys, hope you don't mind me coming over. Tim's gone to Buck's early and I got no clue where Curly is."

"Course not." Soda said. "The more the merrier."

Pony smiled at the two before looking at the table before him, silently counting the number of bottles, cans and whatnot that were present.

"Do we really need all this alcohol?" he asked. Silence fell over the room as Steve, Soda and Angela just looked at him. Even Two-Bit leaned his head in the doorway to see if he had heard correctly. Ponyboy rolled his eyes at his friends, making his big brother grin.

"Don't worry Ponyboy, I didn't forget about us." He said, pulling out about half a dozen bottles of Pepsi. Ponyboy smiled gratefully at his older brother.

"However, I doubt this will last us all night." Soda added. Ponyboy's smile faulted a little as he nodded.

"I'll go get some more if you want." Angela offered.

"We'll go with you." Pony offered, pointing to him and Soda. The middle Curtis nodded his head in agreement.

"I'll stay here and keep Two-Bit away from the booze." Steve said, holding a bottle of bud close to his chest, as if protecting it. The three laughed as they headed back into the living room.

"We'll be back soon." Soda said, pulling his shoes on. Johnny, who had now started a game of cards with Kathy, nodded his head in response.

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened and Mel and Dally walked out into the living room and sat on the couch. Kathy glanced up at her friend and tried not to laugh.

"You might wanna put your shirt on the right way next time." She said casually. Mel's eyes widened a little as she fixed herself up. Two-Bit, who was sitting on the arm of the couch, wasn't as considerate as his girlfriend.

"Wow, Dal," he said, cracking himself up. "Pink lipstick really suits you."

If looks could kill, Two-Bit would be six foot under by then. Dal glared at him and shoved him hard off the couch. Still laughing, Two-Bit got to his feet and headed into the kitchen.

"I'm gonna kill him one day." Dal mumbled, wiping the remains of Mel's lipstick off his face with the back of his hand.

With one more wave, the Soda, Pony and Angela headed out the door. Kathy stopped suddenly in the middle of her hand, and looked around the room before sighing.

"Two-Bit! Get away from the kitchen table!" she called out.

"Damn it!"

oOoOoOoOoOo

While Ponyboy walked a couple of steps ahead, Soda and Angela walked together talking. Not about anything in particular, just talking. Soda was now in the middle of telling her a funny thing that happened to Steve at work.

"...but by that stage, the car was already half way down the street, so Steve didn't even bother telling the guy he didn't have any windshield wipers." Soda laughed. Angela giggled and shook her head at Steve's stupidity.

"Unbelievable." She said. Soda nodded his head in agreement as they continued walking. "So are Sandy and Evie joining us for the festivities tonight?" to her shock, Soda shook his head.

"Nope, Evie and Steve are still on a 'break'," he said in a sarcastic tone, making quotation signs with is fingers, causing Angela to laugh more.

"And Sandy and her parents have gone to visit her grandmother in Florida for a week or so."

Angela nodded her head in understanding as the two kept walking. Before they knew it, they had reached the DX. Both Ponyboy and Angela waited patiently while Soda searched his pockets for his key to the storage cupboard.

"Damn, I left it at home." He said. He sent an apologetic look to his younger brother. Pony shrugged his shoulders.

"It's okay," he said. 'We can split what we got.'

While the brothers were talking, Angela had spotted the Pepsi machine out the front of the station. She could vaguely remember one of her trips to the DX when she saw Mel refilling it somehow. She looked over the machine, inspecting the locking system.

"Hey Soda?" she called out.

"Yeah?" he replied as he and Pony made their way over to her.

"What would happen if there were any...structural damage to this here machine?" she asked. Soda looked at her strangely for a moment before it dawned on him.

"Socs broke it?" he offered. Angela looked up at him with a wide smile before sitting down on the ground in front of the machine. Pony looked back and forth between the two, trying to figure out what they were talking about.

"What?" he asked. Soda merely grinned and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Would you object to anything that will get you some Pepsi?" he asked. Ponyboy shook his head and the two turned to watch what Angela was about to do.

Reaching inside her boot, she pulled out her switchblade and placed it on the ground beside her. She then fiddled with her hair, pulling out one of her hairpins. The two watched in awe as she manoeuvred the two instruments in the lock, willing it to open. After a few moments, a subtle click was heard, and Angela pulled the machine door open.

"There we go." She said, smiling proudly as she got to her feet.

"Angela Shepard...you're my hero." Ponyboy said as he went and helped himself to a few bottles of Pepsi.

"That was pretty tuff." Soda said. Angela couldn't help blushing a little. After getting what they needed, the three set off back to the Curtis house.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The party was already in full swing as they arrived back home. Their guess was that the others couldn't keep Steve away from the radio for too long. The old ford truck was parked outside the house, telling them that Darry was home from work.

"Well, I see your mission was a success." Mel said as the three came back inside. They smiled proudly and glanced down at the load of Pepsi bottles in their arms. They followed Mel outside to where everyone was gathered.

The usual washing machine barrel was set up in the middle of the backyard; a blazing fire in the middle of it. A rather scrappy, yet comfortable looking couch had been brought in from God knows where and was put beside the fire. Huge buckets were filled with ice and loaded with all the drinks that the others had brought in that day. The radio was sitting on a table by the couch, blasting music louder than ever.

"Bout time you three got here!" Steve called out. "Now we can really get this party started." With that, the radio was turned up and the drinks were handed out. Soda, Pony and Johnny had their Pepsi bottles, thanks to Angela, and Steve and Mel handed out beer for those who wanted it.

Steve handed a can to Kathy, but she shook her head no, politely declining. Steve looked at her in surprise.

"You're not gonna drink?" he wondered.

"Nah, man." Two-Bit said. "She's gotta work tomorrow."

"Not just that," Kathy said. "I also wanna actually remember the start of the new year, not being passed out on the floor like _some _people."

"She's got you there, buddy." Steve said, taking another gulp of his beer. Kathy grinned before turning to Soda.

"But I would love some chocolate milk." She said. "You got any?"

"_Do we have any?"_ Soda wondered incredulously. Steve laughed.

"That's like asking if Two-Bit has a fat ass." He said.

"HEY!"

"A 'Soda's Specialty'?" Kathy asked, choosing to once again ignore her boyfriend's outcry.

"What's a 'Soda's Specialty'?" Angela asked.

"Chocolate milk with a curly straw." Ponyboy answered. Angela smiled, liking the sound of that over beer.

"Can I have one?" she asked. Soda smiled brightly and nodded.

"Coming right up." He said, disappearing back into the house. Two-Bit, now over the subject of his ass, was now occupying himself by trying to catch potato chips in his mouth.

"This is the life." He said with a mouthful of food. "Good food, good people, good booze..."

On the other side of the yard, Steve and Soda were standing around, trying to see who could do the best flip off the railing or who could walk on their hands the longest. It would have been a good idea...except they would both end up laughing at something stupid and falling down, or get in an argument about how long they lasted and ended up in a wrestling match with each other on the grass.

Darry was standing a little way away, leaning against the trunk of a tree. He couldn't help but agree with Two-Bit. After a hard day at work, and an even worse week, it was nice to just relax, even if it was with the crazy bunch of hoods that constantly ate him out of house and home. He looked down and stared at the beer in his hand, deep in thought; thinking about what had passed and what was to be.

He managed to be pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of his brother calling him over.

"Hey Darry!" Soda called out. "Can you show me how to do that flip again?"

"Go on, Dar. Show 'em how it's done." Mel encouraged. Darry looked at his beer once more before sighing. He knew he shouldn't be spending the night moping around. He downed the last of his drink before tossing the can aside with the rest and going to join the other two.

By then, everyone had stopped whatever they were doing and turned their attention to the back porch. A few of then hadn't expected that Darry actually would go. He made his way over to the two boys, who took a step backwards to give the older boy some room.

Darry walked over and hoisted himself up onto the railing. He stood there for a moment, gaining balance before pushing himself off and doing a tremendous flip in the air before landing with two feet on the ground.

The surrounding Greasers broke into a massive applause for their unspoken leader.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Dal and Mel were lying on the couch, drinking beer. Well, to be perfectly honest, Dal was the one lying on the couch, Mel was using him as a pillow.

"Are you quite comfortable there?" Dal asked, sounding annoyed. Mel turned around so she was looking at him and smiled triumphantly.

"Why yes I am, thank you for asking." She said. Dal simply glared at her, making her laugh a little.

"Jesus babe, Lighten up a little." She said, turning her head to lie down once more. Dal grinned and turned her face toward him. Mel looked at him for a moment and could see the faintest smile possible forming on his lips. Without another word, he leaned in, capturing her lips with his own. Mel smiled against the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

"I'm telling Darry!" Two-Bit called out, forcing the two to break apart. They all knew that Darry was still a little iffy about their public displays of affection. They both turned and glared at him. But after a moment, Mel's face softened and or glare was replaced with a sly smile.

"Fine." She said. "I'll tell Darry who _really _broke the screen on the backdoor."

Two-Bit was rendered speechless. He looked at his best friend completely shocked, but that was soon replaced by a glare of his own.

"Evil, evil woman." He said, before turning his attention to the dwindling bonfire. Mel laughed a little before turning back to Dal.

"Hey Pony! What's the time?" Darry called out. His little brother ran across the lawn and looked inside the kitchen window at the clock.

"Ten!" he called back.

"Two hours to go."

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Hey Pony! What's your New Year's resolution?"

Before the young boy had a chance to answer, he was cut off by nine voices.

"To quit smoking." Everyone answered. Ponyboy rolled his eyes but smiled. You had to expect that when you had the same resolution for the past two years.

"What's yours Two-Bit?" he asked.

"To graduate?" Kathy said.

"To get a job?" Darry offered.

"All of the above?" Mel laughed.

"What is this, 'pick on Two-Bit' day or something?" Two-Bit asked. Steve shook his head.

"Nah, that's everyday." He noted. Two-Bit responded by throwing an empty beer can at him. Steve tried to dodge but ended up falling on his back, causing everyone to laugh.

"Stay out of jail." Dal said quietly. Mel looked up at him in surprise, unsure whether she heard him right or not.

"What was that?" she asked. Dal put on a careless face and shrugged nonchalantly.

"I figured it might be a good idea." He said. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and saw that she looked like she wanted to say something, but couldn't. Instead she rested her head on his chest and snuggled closer to him. Dal dropped his guard a little and kissed the top of her head.

Angela was leaning against the tree, casually drinking a bottle of Pepsi that she had scabbed from Ponyboy, watching the two on the couch. She smiled sweetly; still shocked that Dallas Winston could be like that. Although she was happy for her best friend, Angela couldn't help but feel a little stab of jealousy for Melody. It wasn't much, though. She only wished that she could be as happy as her and Dal.

"What about you, Miss Angela?" a voice beside her said, pulling her out of her reverie. She turned around and saw Soda leaning against the tree beside her.

"What about me?" she asked.

"Got a New Year's resolution?" he clarified. Angela thought about it for a moment, before nodding seriously.

"Yeah...I'm gonna go over there and push Kathy to the ground before I confess my undying love for your brother." She said, gazing longingly at the two dancing. Out of the corner of her eye, Angela could see the priceless look on Soda's face. It was so good, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Soda, I'm kidding." She said, trying to stop laughing. Soda smiled too.

"Yeah, I know." He said.

"But seriously...I have no idea." She said. Soda nodded and stole the Pepsi bottle out of her hand and took a sip.

"Me either." He said.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Later that night, the music was still blaring and the party was still going strong, especially since people had had a bit to drink. The music and the merriness of the atmosphere were pretty contagious, which had a few of the gang up on their feet dancing.

Kathy and Ponyboy were dancing a little way away, having fun, even though it took him a little convincing to get up in the first place. And as a total shock to everyone, and under unknown circumstances, Melody had managed to get Steve up to dance. She was now, much to her amusement and everyone else's except Steve, trying to teach him how to waltz.

"Okay, now turn." She instructed. Steve scowled at her as she tried to get him to spin her around.

"Alright I got that." He said in an annoyed tone. The others watching the scene tried their best to hold their laughter. After a few more minutes, although hysterical, it was becoming quite painful to watch. Finally, Darry decided to put him out of his misery. He got up off the couch and walked over.

"Get your filthy hands off my sister." He said, flicking Steve's hands away jokingly.

"Thank God." Steve muttered under his breath. Mel scowled at him and slapped the back of his head as he walked away. Grinning to herself, Mel then turned to her brother, who bowed a little.

"Madame." He said, offering her hand. Mel rolled her eyes before taking his hand and beginning to dance all over again.

On the other side of the yard, Angela and Two-Bit were dancing. Well, Angela was. Two-Bit was more...stumbling, thanks to the excessive amount of alcohol he had consumed at that point.

"Two-Bit, you're a terrible dancer when you're drunk." Angela laughed. Two-Bit grinned sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders, knowing she spoke the truth.

"Even though I'm not _that _drunk...yet."

He managed to spin her around without dropping her though. As she spun away from him, Angela felt him let go of her hand, then take it again. But when she turned back, she wasn't faced with the same dance partner.

"Thought he should sit down." Soda said, nodding to Two-Bit, now sitting next to Kathy on the ground. Angela nodded her head in agreement.

"Yeah, probably for the best." She said. Soda nodded then took her hand in his.

"May I?" he asked. Angela smiled and nodded. He gave her a small bow, with her returning with a curtsey, before taking her hand properly and they began to move.

"One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three..." Soda repeated as they danced across the yard.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Angela asked. Soda nodded.

"Sure."

"You're a much better dancer than Two-Bit." Angela said. Soda couldn't help but grin.

"Well, Miss Angela, that's not really a secret, now is it?" he joked. Angela laughed and shook her head.

"I guess not." She replied. Soda laughed as he spun her around once more. But soon his smile faded a little from his face.

"What's wrong?" Angela asked.

"I'm afraid I don't have a secret for you." he said, only half serious. Angela smiled.

"Well, considering mine wasn't really a secret, its okay." She said. "But...let me know when you do." Soda smiled once more and nodded his head.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Five minutes to go everyone!" Ponyboy called out. Everyone moved from where they were and made sure they had a drink in hand, ready to welcome the New Year. Two-Bit and Mel finished setting up his contribution for the night before going over and joining the rest of the gang around the bonfire.

"Darry, you wanna say something?" Soda wondered. The eldest brother nodded and cleared his throat as he thought of what to say.

"Well, I'm not too good with big speeches..."

"Bull..." Two-Bit started, but was just of by a smack in the head by both Kathy and Melody. After receiving a scowl from her best friend, Mel nodded for her brother to continue.

"We've all been through a hell of a lot this year. Some of it good...some, well not so much. We've had new beginnings," he said, looking at Dal and Mel. "Had endings, especially losing our parents..."

He trailed off a little after that. It didn't take the others long to realize who he was thinking about. Mel reached across and squeezed her brother's hand for support and reassurance. This helped snap him out of his daze. Darry smiled gratefully at his sister before continuing.

"It hasn't been easy, that's for damn sure. But I know that we couldn't have gotten through without everyone. So, here's to saying see ya to this year and let's hope that next year might be a little less eventful." He said, raising his glass, and everyone followed suit.

"Everyone be quiet!" Pony yelled out, as he listened intently to the radio. "They're starting the countdown!"

"10..."

"9..."

Everyone gathered closer together, huddled by the radio, looking at either the stars in the sky or those around them. Two-Bit made sure that his plans were ready before going back and standing with Kathy, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"8..."

"7..."

Mel took Dal's hand in hers and turned to face him. A huge smile on her face as one of her dreams was about to come true; kissing him on new years.

"6..."

"5..."

Ponyboy and Johnny were standing by each other, waiting for the countdown to end. They had a different tradition to everyone else; a new year's secret handshake that had taken them ages to perfect.

"4..."

"3..."

Soda looked away from the night sky and turned to his left. Angela was standing beside him, smiling up at the night sky as she counted down the seconds. He reached over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders before looking up at the sky once again. Angela looked at him and smiled before looking back.

"2..."

"1..."

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Champagne corks popped and flew everywhere, fireworks cracked in the distance and cheers and whoops of joy were shouted at the top of their lungs as 1964 fell away and 1965 finally came to be.

Ponyboy and Johnny did their traditional handshake, followed by a friendly one armed hug. Kathy and Two-Bit were eating each other's face. Darry had Steve in a well-deserved headlock. Mel turned to Dal and smiled before he picked her up and kissed her with all his might.

Soda turned and looked at the others before turning to Angela, who was still looking at the fireworks in the distance. As soon as she felt his eyes on her she turned to face him. Smiling softly, Soda leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"Happy New Year, Angie." He said. Angela smiled.

"Happy New Year, Soda." she replied.

Suddenly, a loud noise was heard as Two-Bit decided it was the perfect time to set off the fireworks he had brought.

"Two-Bit! If that breaks anything I swear to god you're a dead man!" Darry yelled out. Two-Bit decided that he was in far too much of a good mood to pay any attention to death threats from Darry. The others armed themselves with more alcohol and sat around, either on the grass or on the couch to watch the fireworks display.

Dally took Mel's hand and started leading her away from the others. Mel looked back, but it seemed that nobody had even noticed. They wandered over to a tree and Dal started to climb. Mel stood there honestly wondering how the hell he was doing that while he was that drunk. But then again, he was still coherent. It took a hell of a lot to get Dally _that _drunk. When he reached the top, he jumped up onto the roof before helping Melody up too.

The two sat down on the roof and watched the fireworks for a while. Mel turned and looked at him. His face was all lit up in different colours thanks to the fireworks display. Finally, he turned and looked at her.

"What?" he asked. Mel simply smiled and shook her head.

"Nothing." She said. She leaned in and kissed his lips gently. "Happy New Year, Dallas."

"Happy New Year, Kid." He replied, kissing her once more.

oOoOoOoOoOo

When the two returned from the roof sometime later, they found the others still where they had left them. Only now, they were all involved in some kind of discussion.

"Who do you think?"

"What about Tim Shepard and...Sylvia Daniels."

"Eww! I do NOT want that trash as my sister-in-law thank you very much!"

"Who do you think then?"

"Kathy and Two-Bit."

"No freaking way!"

"Yeah I never thought they'd be first."

"Mel and Dal?"

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" Mel asked.

"Marriage." Ponyboy replied. Mel and Dal's eyes widened.

"What?" they asked.

"I have no clue how they got onto the subject...but they did. And now it seems like you're the new hot topic of conversation." Kathy added. She was having a good laugh at it considering that she, apart from the two youngest and Soda, that was completely sober.

"Yeah, I think Dal and Mel." Soda said. Mel rolled her eyes.

"Okay, were not talking about this." She said, trying to change the conversation. But nobody was listening to her.

"You're just saying that cause you wanna be best man." Steve called out.

"So?"

"What makes you think you would be?" Steve wondered. "Maybe I will."

"You?"

"Yeah, me."

"Or me!" Two-Bit piped up.

"Cut that shit out!" Dally said, sitting down on the couch. Mel sighed; at least there was a little normalcy about the situation.

"It would be Johnnycakes." Dal said. Mel's eyes widened beyond belief. Did he really just say that?

"What?" she asked. Dal looked over at her and shrugged.

"Well, it's my wedding too, ain't it? I thought I'd get to choose my own best man." He said.

"Really, Dal?" Johnny asked.

Mel looked at him in complete and utter shock. She thought it was a total stretch just to get him to kiss her in public or say I love you. but to talk about a possible wedding? This was just too bizarre, even if everyone _was _drunk.

But then again, another part of her was telling her to just shut up and enjoy it while it lasts. It was almost certain that none of them, the guys that is, would remember what they were talking about in the morning.

Sighing to herself, Mel sat down next to Dal on the couch and listened to what the others were saying.

"Okay, so Johnny's best man." Two-Bit said to clarify. Dal nodded his head once, finalizing it.

"Darry could give her away." Kathy suggested. Mel smiled at her older brother.

"What do you say, superman?" she asked. Darry shrugged.

"Sure." He replied.

"Me and Kathy can be maids of honour." Angela suggested .Mel smiled and nodded as she turned to the others.

"And...Soda and Two-Bit can be bridesmaids." She said.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Soda said. "I am _not_ being a bridesmaid..." he said, causing Mel's face to fall a little jokingly.

"...unless the dress matches my eyes. It's either that or no dice." Soda said, batting his eyelashes at his twin.

"Whatever you say, Sodiepop." Mel laughed.

"Glory, all we need now is for Two-Bit to be the minister and then you're set." Ponyboy laughed.

"Okay...so where are you gonna live?" Steve asked. "I honestly doubt superman will let you move in here."

"You're damn right." Darry added.

"Nah, man. I've got it all figured out." Dally said. Mel looked at him, and couldn't help but wonder if he actually did, or if he was playing along with everyone.

"A place out in the country." He said. "With a white picket fence and everything. A yard for football and a big tree out the front..."

"Tyre swing?" Johnny asked. Dal looked at him and nodded.

"Of course." He said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "or it can be used for when Two-Bit comes to visit."

"What do you mean?" Johnny asked. Dal shrugged his shoulders.

"Batting practise." He said, causing everyone, but Two-Bit to laugh. The others looked t him, only to find that he had passed out on the grass.

"is he breathing?" Angela asked. Kathy reached over and checked his pulse.

"Yeah, just drunk." She said. Mel rolled her eyes.

"If we have to take him to the hospital, I'm drawing in his face...seriously." she said.

oOoOoOoOoOo

after that, things started to unwind a little. Nobody was dancing anymore, and the music coming from the radio had become background noise. Ponyboy, Johnny and Darry headed inside to bed, choosing not to sleep on the ground that night, even if it was a warn night.

Kathy was close to falling asleep next to Two-Bit's unconscious body, so she was comfortable using him as a pillow. Although, Mel did insist that she keep a marker near by in case she wanted to draw in Two-Bit after all.

Steve had fallen asleep behind the couch, for some odd reason, and was snoring rather loudly, not that anyone really cared at that point.

Soda and Angela were sitting by the tree, quietly talking amongst themselves. One of the topics mentioned was what colour their dresses would be for Mel and Dal's 'wedding'.

The couple just mentioned had managed to claim the entire couch for themselves, stretching out so there was no possible way for anyone else to sit. Dal held his girl close to his chest, using his jacket as a blanket for them both.

The ten greasers had partied hard into the night and morning, [despite the headaches that the morning would bring] bringing the New Year in with them. As they all slept quietly, fireworks from near and far were still going off, celebrating a new time.

A lot had happened in one year, like Darry said. Both good and bad; different things to different people and for many different reasons. But to them all, the one same thought had crossed their minds more than once that night.

Please let this year be better...for all of them.

It was a simple wish, right? It was something that they all wanted. But none of them knew just how wrong they would all be.


	55. Wrongful Accusations

**A/N: Hello everyone! I hope everyone is well...I wish I was =( My trip to the USA was absolutely fantasmic! It is such an amazing place...and I went to Disneyland! The only downside is I ended up with bronchitis and really bad jetlag so I'm still really sleepy...but it was worth it. So, I'm really supposed to be doing homework right now since I go back to school on Friday (honestly...who the heck starts the new school year on a Friday?) but I thought I would be nice and update for you all! This chapter stalked me all throughout my holiday and wouldn't leave me alone til I wrote it down so I hope it's okay, I was a little rushed to get it done. Okay, this chapter was intended to be a lot longer, but I thought it would be a good place to end it for now, so there is a bit of drama in this chapter, and a heck of a lot more in the next. Also, it will be one or two more chapters until the events in the book start to surface so keep an eye out.**

**Okay! I hope you all enjoy the chapter and please REVIEW at the end and let me know what you thought =) but no flames please ...enjoy!**

Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to you in many different ways. You can get it from people, or things; memories and familiar everyday occurrences. Something that most people take for granted; a place that doesn't seem special, or one that you pass by every single day without realizing it, may be the source of one's inspiration the next or a place to find such inspiration.

As a young writer, Melody constantly searched for inspiration for her work. But as a greaser, inspiration often came in different and seemingly unusual ways. It could come from seeing one of Ponyboy's pictures, or something funny that one of the guys said or even just sitting out and watching the sunset.

One place in particular that was a great spot for her to gain inspiration, albeit a little strange, was the train yard. Hiding inside a broken down and abandoned freight car, Mel sat with her new notebook, scribbling away anything that came to mind. Which at that moment...wasn't much at all.

Usually the train yard gave her some kind of inspiration, or gave her time to think about something else that would. But this particular day, nothing seemed to be working.

Suddenly, she felt something grasp her shoulders, and not a moment later, Mel gasped a little as she felt herself being pulled back. A familiar laugh could be heard as she looked up into the eyes of her twin.

"Jesus, Soda. You scared the hell outta me." She said, pulling herself back upright. Sodapop couldn't help but laugh a little more as he settled down beside her.

"I thought I'd find you here." He said. Mel smiled.

"You know me." She said. "So, anything in particular I can help you with, or was the main purpose of this just to try and give me a heart attack?"

"I just thought I'd come see how you were. When I got up this morning you weren't home." Soda said, shrugging carelessly.

"Yeah, I got called into work early." Mel explained. "I told Dal to let you guys know. Didn't he tell you?"

"Nope." Soda said. Mel shook her head. She should have known it was a stupid idea to ask Dal to remember anything in the morning.

"It's a shame really, I was gonna ask you if you wanted to come riding with me today." Soda said.

Mel couldn't help but smile. Her brother had spent every spare moment he had at Buck's stables with Mickey Mouse. It was the happiest she had seen him in a long, long time.

"But it's cool, I dropped Pony off at his track meet before heading over to Bucks." Soda said. Mel looked at him in confusion for a moment before she remembered.

"Oh right, he's got that big race coming up, doesn't he?" she asked. Soda nodded.

"Yeah, it's a big one alright. He's been training for it for months." He said. Mel nodded her head she knew how much hard work their little brother had put into his training lately. This one race meant everything to him at the moment.

"So while I've been working my ass off all morning, you've spent the entire day at the stables riding _your _horse?" Mel wondered. Soda grinned sheepishly and nodded. He still couldn't get over the fact that he was _his _horse.

"Yep." He said. "it really was the best thing you could ever do for me." He said honestly. Mel chewed the end of her pencil, looking deep in thought.

"Actually, the best thing I could ever do would probably give you a kidney or something drastic like that...but I don't see that happening anytime soon so this is probably as good as it's gonna get." She said. Soda raised a quizzical eyebrow at his younger sister.

"You're so weird." He said. Mel shrugged and dismissed the attempted insult and went back to her notebook. Soda craned his neck and tried to read over her shoulder.

"Writing again?" he asked. Mel looked up at him and shrugged.

"New year, new book." She said happily. "Whether anything will actually inspire me and turn into something is yet to be seen though." Sodapop rolled his eyes at her lack of faith.

"it will and it will be amazing, like it always is." He assured her. "But let's keep this one in one piece this time alright?"

Mel smiled at him and nodded before looking down at her notebook once more. It was then that she remembered.

"Oh, here. Check these out." She said. She flipped a few pages of her notebook and pulled out a few photographs and handed them to him.

"These from the other night?" Soda asked, looking at the photos from New Years. Mel nodded her head.

"Yeah, Kathy took a lot of them." She said. As he flipped through the pictures, Soda couldn't help but grin. There were photos of his brothers, some of Mel and Dal, some of the couple of times that be and Steve started a wrestling match. A few of people dancing...or trying to dance in their drunken states. One of the things that was sure to come from one of their parties, aside from hangovers, were photos...and crazy ones at that.

"Lucky we didn't get any of the morning after." Soda laughed. Mel scoffed.

"There was no 'morning after', I was still in bed two days later!" she said. Soda shook his head as he looked through the photos once more. The next picture made him stop and look at it for a moment. Mel peered over his shoulder and smiled.

"That's a good one." She said, looking down at the photo of Soda and Angela. It was taken right after the fireworks had started; with Soda's arm around Angela. Soda mumbled his agreement before turning his attention back to the picture; the two looking up at him with wide smiles on their faces.

"Kathy really does take a good picture." Soda said finally, handing the stack back over to his sister. Melody nodded and fitted them back into her book.

"Yeah she does." She said. Soda sighed to himself and got to his feet.

"Come on, we should head home." he said, jumping out of the car. Mel shut her notebook and packed her things back into her bag before taking her brothers hand and jumping out. When she was sure she had everything, the two headed back to the Curtis house.

"So why did the old man call you in this morning?" Soda asked, slinging his arm casually around his sister's shoulder. Mel shrugged her shoulders.

"No idea. He called up bitching about something to do with one of the customer's cars and threatened to fire me if I didn't come in or some crap like that." She said, not caring at all really. Soda laughed.

"He threatened to fire you...again?" he asked. Mel grinned and nodded. Soda shook his head in disbelief. "Man, I'm starting to lose count of how many times he's said that."

"I honestly couldn't care less." Mel said. Once again, Soda shook his head in complete disbelief as they kept walking. As they reached their street, Mel pulled the puppy dog eyes and managed to convince Soda to give her a piggyback ride.

"Geez, you weigh a ton." Soda complained jokingly. Mel gaped at him before slapping his back and the back of his head repeatedly. Soda stopped walking and threw her off his back.

"That's it." He said. Mel's eyes grew wide as she sprinted away from him. She didn't even want to turn back to see how far away from her he was. She could hear his footsteps getting closer to her, so she tried to run faster, but it was no use. Soda finally caught up to her and grabbed her around the waist, lifting her into the air.

"Okay! Okay! Put me down!"She squealed. Since he was feeling generous that particular day, Soda let her down to her feet without much of a fight. As soon as she was safely on the ground, Mel turned to her brother and stood on his foot.

"You're such a jerk." She said with a smile. Soda simply rolled his eyes, the common Curtis trait, and led the way over to their house.

As they made their way towards the gate, the twins noticed something a little bizarre...even for them. They shared a look of complete and utter confusion before walking over to the tree in their front yard.

"Uhh, Ponyboy...what are you doing in the tree?" Soda wondered. Sure enough, their youngest brother was sitting among the branches with his nose buried deep within a book.

"Staying outside." The younger greaser said without looking away from the pages. Soda looked at his sister for any further information. But she simply shrugged her shoulders helplessly, unable to give him answers.

"Umm...why?" Soda asked, turning back to the boy in the tree.

"Darry's not happy." Pony said. Mel rolled her eyes.

"That's nothing new, Ponyboy." She said. Ponyboy sighed and closed his book before staring down at his siblings."

"This is different." Pony insisted. "Last I saw he was just standing in the kitchen, looking out the window. He wasn't talking or anything."

"That can't be good." Soda thought aloud. "I wonder what happened."

"Maybe Steve broke something?" Mel offered. Soda looked at her for a moment.

"Why is Steve always your first choice?" he wondered. Mel sent him a look. "Right, point taken."

"I'm sure whatever it is, isn't that bad." Mel said. She held her hand out to help her little brother out of the tree. Pony sighed and closed his book, throwing it down to Soda before he accepted Melody's hand and jumped down to his feet.

The three Curtis siblings entered the house to find it unusually quiet, with the exception of the television playing somewhat quietly in the background. Steve and Two-Bit were slouching on the couch, doing nothing.

Mel looked at the others, trying to get an answer, but they knew nothing. Sighing to herself, Mel grabbed her bag and headed into her room. When she got there, she found Kathy lying on her bed reading a magazine and Dally sitting on the floor by her window smoking.

"What's going on around here?" she asked, putting her bag in the corner. "I come home, find Ponyboy in a tree, Steve and Two-Bit are silent as the grave and Darry's literally becoming the strong, silent type. It's like the freaking Twilight Zone or something!"

The other two looked at each other before looking at Mel once more. The girl sighed and collapsed on her bed, right by Kathy's feet.

"So...what are you two doing?" she asked. Dal put out his cigarette and crawled over so he was sitting by the edge of the bed.

"Hiding." He said, kissing Mel once. "You're brother is scary when he's like this...well, scarier than usual."

"Did anything happen that caused this?" Mel asked. Kathy thought about it and shook her head.

"Not that I can think of." She said. "I got here just as Soda was leaving."

"Mel," Soda said, appearing at the door. The three in the room immediately turned the attention to the doorway. "You coming out?"

Mel looked at the others before sliding off her bed and heading out the door. Dally quickly stumbled to his feet before following her out of the room.

As they headed out into the kitchen, they found Soda, Steve and Ponyboy casually hanging around leaning on benches or sitting at the table. Two-Bit was leaning in the doorway coming from the living room. Darry, as previously predicted, was staring out the kitchen window, leaning on the sink.

"Darry?" Mel asked. He didn't turn around. "Darry, what's going on?"

The eldest Curtis sighed deeply, but still refused to turn around and face the gang.

"I thought you were responsible Melody." He said finally. The others were confused, as they looked around at each other. Mel threw a confused look to her older brother, forgetting for a moment that he still hadn't turned to face her. She opened her mouth to talk but he continued.

"You tell me to trust you so, against my better judgement; I give both you and Dallas the benefit of the doubt. And what do you do, you throw it back in my face. How could you both be so reckless?"

"I honestly have no clue what you're talking about, Darry." Mel said truthfully. Darry let his head hang low as he sighed deeply before turning around. She was about to question him when she noticed what he had in his hands. It was the pregnancy test box. And by the looks of it...the test was inside. Melody's eyes widened beyond belief.

"Is...Is that what I think..." Soda wondered in disbelief. Darry nodded his head silently. His face was contorted into a stony, emotionless expression. Ponyboy looked on in shock.

"Holy Shi..." but Soda put his hand on his shoulder and over his mouth to silence him.

"Not now." He said quietly. Ponyboy nodded as they tuned into the conversation at hand once more. Dallas honestly looked like he wanted to bolt out the door and head to Mexico. Steve begrudgingly handed Two-Bit a twenty dollar bill. Darry was now looking at his sister expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"What's going on Melody?" Darry asked, in a strangely calm tone.

"That's not mine." Melody said. Her voice was shaking with every word she said.

"Honestly Mel..." Darry said.

"I swear. It's not mine." Mel insisted. Darry's expression grew colder, and angrier.

"Don't lie to me, Melody..." He warned. Mel shook her head defiantly.

"I'm not lying! That is not mine!" she said. "God! What is it going to take for you to believe me?"

It was clear that Darry didn't believe her. She looked around at the others; each one was hanging on their every word.

"You're the only girl living here!" Darry said. Melody scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"That means nothing!" She said. Darry crossed his arms and looked at her patronizingly.

"Oh really?" He wondered sarcastically. Melody put her hands on her hips.

"Yeah. Ever stop to remember that I'm not the only girl who sets foot in this house?" she said. "It could be, oh I don't know ...what about Ginny? Have you ever thought that maybe that this was the reason she left?"

The others around them gasped a little at her words. They knew that Mel had to be really, REALLY mad to play that card. Mel saw her brother visibly flinch at her words. She knew that she had finally struck a nerve, but then again, so did his accusations.

"Mel..." Soda said calmly, stepping forward. He tried to put his hand on her shoulder but she pushed him aside.

"No! I'm not gonna stand here and be accused of something...It isn't mine! Why don't you fucking listen to me for once!" she cried out. She was getting hysterical. Tears were now falling down her cheeks.

"Fine! Answer this then. If this isn't yours, tell me why the hell there is a God damn positive pregnancy test in your trash?" Darry yelled. Mel cried out in frustration.

"I told you I..." But she never finished her sentence. She stopped silently as his words played over in her head. A few of the others thought for a minute that the fight had broken her suddenly and caused her to stop talking.

"Wait..." Mel said quietly. "It...It's positive?"

"Don't change the subject!" Darry insisted. "Are you pregnant?"

"No...I swear. But..."

"You told me it was negative!" Dal said, speaking up for the first time. Mel spun around to face him. She had never seen him look like that before. His face was pale white and in total shock.

"It was!" She assured him before turning back to her brother. "I keep telling you all...it's not mine!"

That made Darry stop for a moment.

"Wait...what?" he asked.

Melody sighed and ran her hands through her hair as she took a shaky breath.

"I did take a test, the other day when I was sick. But it was negative! I swear, Darry... I swear on Mom and Dad's grave that that is not mine!" Mel said. "I put mine back in the box and threw it out at work. Dal can vouch for me!"

Darry looked at Dal scathingly for answers. The younger greaser, although scared out of his mind of his girlfriend's brother at that moment, nodded his head. The entire room was silent; nobody knew what to say or do...if anything. Suddenly, a small voice broke the silence.

"It's not hers."

Every single person in that room turned to find Kathy standing in the doorway. She had her arms wrapped around herself as she looked at the tiles on the kitchen floor. They were all so involved in the fight that not one of them had noticed her coming in.

"Kath, you don't have to speak for her..." Darry sighed. But Kathy shook her head.

"I'm not. She's telling the truth, Darry." She said. "Mel did take a test...but it was negative...so you can breathe again, Dal."

At that point, Dal didn't even realize that he was holding his breath. They all looked at her, waiting for her to continue and hopefully shed some light on the situation.

"I know this for a fact because I got it for her. But this isn't hers...it's...it's mine." She said finally.

If it were possible, the room fell even more silent that before. Every eye was on her, watching her in disbelief. Then, they all turned to Two-Bit. The nineteen year old had gone pale white as he looked at his girlfriend in disbelief. After a moment, their attention was brought back to Kathy.

"I'm... I'm pregnant." She said, finalizing it.

A loud thump was heard. Everyone turned in synch to find Two-Bit passed out on the kitchen floor. For a moment, it was as if everyone was glued to the spot. Dal's arm was wrapped protectively around Mel's waist as they all tried to process what has just happened.

Finally, Darry and Steve moved and went to pick Two-Bit up off the floor and carried him to the couch. Once everyone was able to find their feet, they all headed into the living room and gathered around the couch. Mel looked him over for a few moments before slapping his face a little. Finally, Two-Bit started to stir.

"Huh? Wha?" he asked groggily. He looked around the room and saw everyone staring at him. He held his head in a futile bid to get it to stop spinning.

"Oh man! Did I have the weirdest dream or what!" he chuckled. "I mean, it was scary, I tell you. And you, and you, and you...and you were there."

Two-bit sat there laughing to himself as he tried to get his bearings. But he knew something was up when nobody was reacting to his jokes. He stopped chuckling and looked around at everyone; seeing their sullen faces. He turned to his right and saw Kathy sitting on the arm of Darry's armchair. The look on her face, and the fact she was hugging herself, told him everything. It wasn't a dream.

"Now?" Ponyboy asked his brother. Soda nodded his head slowly.

"Now." He said.

"Holy Shit."

**A/N: Well, I hope that was enough drama for one chapter. Like I said, I was planning on it being longer with the confrontations and such being put in...but they're not exactly finished yet and I really wanted to post this. So if anyone has any ideas or whatnot for the next chapter or so, please don't hesitate to let me know. =)**

**Stay tuned xx**


	56. Fractured

**A/N: Hello everyone! I hope this new chapter finds you all well. I wish I was...It's only been a month and already the stresses of year 12 are getting to me. Oh well, I'll survive...hopefully. Anyways, I was off school today with a broken finger/bruised hand so I thought I would try with all my might to get this chapter done for you all! It didn't turn out as well as I had wanted but I think it works out pretty good. Now, I realized something the other day. This is going to be one HELL of a long story. It's already up to 56 chapters and the events in the main story only start to peek in, in this chapter. I have a few more idea for before the book, then the events during the book, and a little bit for after...so im planning it to be long. So, I hope you all don't mind, but this will be one really, long story...but that just means you don't have to keep waiting for new stories and such. I did have the idea of making two or more stories...but I really don't want to unless really necessary. I hope that's okay!**

**Anyways, this chapter contains a lot of information and a lot of drama, so I hope you're all happy with it. I also hope it explains a fair bit and with help ease into the main portion of 'The Outsiders' :D**

**So, with that said, read on and I hope you enjoy the chapter. Also, please drop me a line and let me know what you think... I'd really like to know opinions on this chapter.**

After the revelations of that afternoon, the entire household was in shock. The rest of the gang were sitting out in the living room trying to go on with their evening as planned, while Two-Bit and Kathy had locked themselves in Melody's room and had started one huge screaming match.

Mel and Dal were sitting on the couch with Ponyboy at their feet, trying to do his homework with all the yelling going on. Mel stared blankly at the wall in front of her, absentmindedly playing with her locket.

"Why did they have to lock themselves _here_?" Darry wondered annoyed as he sat down on the couch beside Melody. As soon as he sat down, Mel sighed and got up and moved to the armchair.

"Mel..." Darry whined. But his sister ignored him. Instead, she grabbed a nearby magazine and started to read. Soda sighed to himself and sat on the arm of the chair.

"How long you gonna give him the cold shoulder?" he asked quietly. Mel didn't bet an eye, but simply turned the page. "When will you forgive him?"

"When I feel like it." She said, not looking up from her page once more. Soda sighed in annoyance at his sister's stubbornness.

"Mel, come on. He apologised..." he said. Mel sighed and threw her magazine down onto her lap.

"I don't care." she said. "I'm mad at him, so I'll forgive him when I'm good and ready."

He knew it was no use trying to reason with her when she was like this, so Soda let it go. He looked up at his older brother and shrugged. Darry sighed and stared out the window.

As the fighting continued in the other room, the others were torn between wanting to listen, and wanting to have an alibi in case one of them killed the other. Steve noticed Two-Bit's jacket on the floor and happily helped himself to the twenty bucks that he had lost before. Mel sighed and looked over the top of her magazine at her little brother struggling with his work on the floor.

"Pony, pack up your stuff." She said. "Go head over to Angela's and get your work done. I'm sure she won't mind."

Ponyboy looked at Darry for further permission. When his eldest brother nodded he didn't waste any time shuffling his books together and sprinting out the front door.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"How?" Two-Bit wondered, pacing around the room. "How did this happen?"

Kathy rolled her eyes as she sat on Mel's bed. Her arms lay by her sides, grinning the edge of the bed to stop herself in case she felt the need to strangle her boyfriend.

"Well, _dear_, it obviously doesn't take a genius to figure that one out, does it?" she wondered; sarcasm practically dripping off her every word. Two-Bit stopped pacing and glared at her.

"I didn't mean it like that!" he said. "I thought we were careful."

"Well, I guess we weren't careful enough." Kathy said, shrugging her shoulders. It's true, no matter the circumstance; the two of them always took every precaution to prevent this from happening. But then again, nothing was foolproof and accidents did happen.

"I thought you said..." he started.

"Remember one thing, buddy. I'm not the only one who is at fault here." Kathy snapped, cutting him off before he had the chance to blame her for anything else.

"We can't have a kid." Two-Bit said, more to himself. "It...it's not possible."

"Evidently it is." Kathy said, rolling her eyes. "And we are."

"Wait...you actually want this?" Two-Bit asked, looking at her, bewildered.

"Well..." Kathy started. In honest truth, she had always wanted children; preferably not at eighteen, and when she was still in school, but she still wanted them. But it honestly could not have come at a worse time.

"Well?" Two-Bit pushed.

"...I don't know." Kathy replied.

"What the hell do you mean, you don't know?" two-bit asked incredulously.

"Well I didn't exactly just sit down and decide when I want to have a kid, you know." She replied venomously. Two-Bit gripped his hair tight, as he continued.

"And if I don't?" he asked. Kathy looked at him. His eyebrow was arched and his head rested on a clenched fist. "If I don't want this?"

"Why am I not fucking surprised! Of course you're making this all about you!" Kathy said, laughing bitterly. "No, you're just the one who knocked me up. You don't have to worry about everything else, do you?"

"Acting like a fucking princess, I swear to god!" he yelled, throwing his hands in the air. "Un-fucking-believable."

"_I'm_ unbelievable?" Kathy asked. "Jesus Christ! That's rich, coming from you!"

If looks could kill, the two would be long gone by now. They remained silent for a short while; Two-Bit stood leaning against the wall, while Kathy sat on the bed with her back to him. Time seemed to drag on. The gang outside were worried that they had actually managed to kill each other.

"You're not seriously thinking of keeping it, are you?" Two-Bit asked, finally breaking the silence. Kathy looked at him for a moment.

"I... I don't know." She said truthfully, hiding her fade in her hands. Two-Bit groaned in frustration.

"Why don't you just...I don't know...get rid of it? You can do that, can't you?" he asked. Kathy's head shot up to look at him.

"What?" she asked. "How... how could you even suggest something like that?"

"Why not?" Two-Bit asked. "We don't need this Kathy! You don't need it..."

"How the hell do you know what I need?" she asked him. "When was the last time you even asked? What? You know what it is that I want and need because, why? You love me?"

"I..."

"No! That's bullshit and you know it!" She cried. "Just think, just for two seconds, can you do that? When was the last time that you actually told me that you loved me?"

Silence was all she got. She threw her hands up in disbelief.

"Exactly my point! You don't say it! I've probably heard Steve or Soda say it more times...hell, even Dallas tells Mel he loves her at least once every fucking day!"

"Whatever! But you can't honestly tell me that this...this..._thing_ is what you need. You know you don't need it. I don't need it! So just get rid of it!"

"It's not that easy. You should know that nothing is _that _easy." Kathy said.

"If you just think..."

"No! You don't get it! I have no fucking idea what I'm thinking to be perfectly honest with you, Two-Bit!" she yelled. "It's not like I wanted to end up pregnant, you know? All I know is that I don't wanna kill an innocent kid..._our_ kid...who has done nothing wrong!"

"How do I even know that it's my kid?" Two-Bit spat. Kathy stopped instantly. Even though they were fighting, more than they ever had before, that cut her deep.

"Okay, so now I'm some fucking tramp too?" she wondered. "Taking tips from Sylvia Daniels or some other whore like that? That's a new low, Two-Bit...even for you."

She waited for a response, but failed to get one. Kathy took this as a sign for her to continue her rant.

"Ever since we started going out, I have been NOTHING but faithful to you!" she said. "Even when you constantly flirted with other girls and all that! So, yes Two-Bit...it's your kid!"

"But you do know I don't want this, right?"

"I get that. But I mean... you've done nothing but reinforce that fact for the past two hours!" Kathy said sarcastically. "I guess I just don't see a lot of your reasons for it. What about Tommy when he was here? Or when Ponyboy was little? Hell, what about Teeny, huh? You're own sister! Why..."

"Why? Because I like my life how it is! Because I like drinking, I like staying out late, I like being able to do what the hell I want, when I want!"

"Once again...how the fuck could you make this all about you?" Kathy wondered, unable to get an answer last time. Her eyes were now stinging with tears, but she was determined. But Two-Bit simply waved her off, irritated.

"I like my freedom, Kathy." He said. Kathy couldn't take it anymore. She got to her

"You're acting like you've got no responsibility, like you live this crazy party boy life. You like staying home, Two-Bit. You like sitting on the couch and watching cartoons. What difference will it make if you have a baby watching with you?"

"That's not the point..." Two-Bit said.

"Then what is?" Kathy demanded. "I honestly thought you would help me a little with this, Two-Bit."

"Well...you thought wrong." He said. Without as much as another glance at her, Two-bit threw open the bedroom door, knocking over and smashing a photo frame in the process. He briefly looked at the mess he had created before stepping through it and storming out.

oOoOoOoOoOo

At the sound of the door hitting the wall, the others in the living room immediately turned their heads to the source of the disturbance. They all watched in silence as Two-Bit left the house in a fit of rage, letting the door slam behind him as usual. Darry didn't even bother yelling at him for the doors, or breaking anything.

They all just stared out the door or at each other, wondering if it really happened. Mel looked at Dal in complete disbelief. Never in the sixteen years that she had known Two-Bit Matthews, had he ever, EVER acted like that. Suddenly, a small voice brought them all out of their thoughts.

"Uhh...sorry, about all that." Kathy said. Everyone turned to see her standing in Mel's doorway. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and her mascara was running down her cheeks.

"You got nothing to apologise for." Darry said, shaking his head. Kathy shook her head in disagreement.

"No, I didn't mean for that to happen, so I'm sorry. Mel, I think there's a broken frame in your room." Kathy said. Mel nodded, saying that she'll take care of it later.

"Would I be able to get a lift home?" Kathy asked quietly. Soda silently nodded and got up off his spot on the floor. He grabbed his keys from the kitchen and silently headed out the door, with Kathy following silently behind. Normally when Soda was driving, the usual sound of a revving engine would follow...but not now. Carefully, he eased on down the street, headed towards the Rawlins house.

As soon as they were out of sight, someone had to break the silence. After nobody immediately volunteered, Steve sighed deeply and, with his extensive amount of tact and carefulness, voiced the question that was on everyone's mind.

"What the fuck just happened?"

oOoOoOoOoOo

In the days following the fight, neither Two-Bit or Kathy had set foot near the Curtis place at all. In fact, Kathy had locked herself in her room and refused to come out at all. The others had tried to get her to see reason and get her to come out, but she refused to listen. Angela, Soda, even Mel couldn't get her to come out. In fact, after their last attempt, Kathy told Scott that she didn't want them over anymore.

It was now late afternoon at the Curtis house. Darry had yet to come home from work; Soda and Steve were out tending to the car; Johnny was with Ponyboy at another track meet and Dal was lying on the couch doing absolutely nothing. Mel, on the other hand, was pacing the living room back and forth with the phone in her hand; yelling and screaming to whoever was on the other end.

'It's been four freaking days, Scott! She has to get out of that room! She's your sister! Surely you can do something? Kick the door down, threaten to...oh god I don't know! Just do something!'

Finally, Dallas couldn't take it anymore. He got up off the couch, grabbed his jacket and headed out the door.

'I just...hang on...where's he going?' she asked herself, and anyone around her, before turning her attention back to the phone.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Kathy shut the bathroom door behind her as she headed down the hall to her room. At that moment, she honestly didn't think her life could get any worse. Not only did the father of her child want nothing to do with her or it, but she was throwing up at least twice a day because of said child.

Sighing to herself she headed back to her room and shut the door behind her. As she ventured in, she noticed her bedroom window open. Sighing to herself, she walked over and shut it.

"Isn't climbing through bedroom windows something you'd be doing for Mel?" she asked aloud. She turned around and found Dally lounging back on her bed.

"Usually, but I thought I could make an exception." He said. "Don't you wanna keep that open? After all you have been in here for what, three days? Might be nice to have some fresh air..."

"What do you want, Dally?" she wondered.

"What do I want? Well, I wanna know why you're acting like a moron by locking yourself away like this." Dal said.

"Did Mel tell you to come over?" Kathy inquired. Dal shook his head.

"Nah, she was too busy abusing your brother over the phone to notice that I even left." He said, shrugging his shoulders. "So...you gonna tell me what's going' on?"

Kathy sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed.

"Trust me, you wouldn't understand." She said. Dal raised his eyebrow and shrugged.

"I wouldn't understand because I'm not dating the wiseass, or I wouldn't understand because I'm not pregnant?" he asked.

"Either...both... I don't know!" Kathy said, falling back against the bed. Dal sighed and rolled his eyes at her stubbornness. He leaned down and flicked her forehead.

"Ouch!" she said.

"Start talking, Rawlins." He said. When she refused to talk, he kept flicking her face. Finally, she swatted his hand away.

"Jesus Christ you're annoying." She said. Dal simply grinned in victory. Kathy sighed, finally giving in.

"I just... I guess I just wish he didn't react that way." She said. "That's how I would have expected someone like..."

"Me?" Dal wondered. Kathy winced a little

"Yeah...no offence."

"None taken." Dal said. "Continue." Kathy sighed.

So Dally sat there patiently, as Kathy basically spilled everything she was feeling to him. How she was feeling, what she thought about everything...especially Two-Bit at that particular time. All the while he just sat there, letting her get everything out, sometimes offering some kind of comment or so.

"I mean, I see his point, and I get why he freaked out...but he just acted like it was all about him and didn't even ask me what I thought or if I was okay or...or anything!" she cried. "It just made me so freaking mad!"

"...and? Are you okay?" Dal asked.

"I'm not sure. I'm not sure of anything anymore." She said. "I don't know how I feel. I don't know what I'm gonna do... I just know I can't do this on my own."

"What makes you think you're gonna do it alone?" Dal asked. Kathy looked up at him confused.

"What..." she started. Dal shook his head.

"Okay, I knew dating the moron would be bad for your intelligence." Dal said. "Okay, no matter what you do...do you really think we'd let you do it by yourself? There ain't a soc's chance in heaven or hell."

Kathy couldn't help but laugh at the last bit. To be perfectly honest, Dal was probably one of the last people she would ever imagine to come and make her feel better.

"Really, Dal?" she asked. Dal sighed and nodded.

"Think about it, you may not have the moron, but let's face it...he wasn't useful anyway." He joked. "You got the boys, Angela, Mel...I guess me too."

Kathy grinned at his nonchalant attitude. She looked up at the roof and knew that he was right. And for the first time in days, Kathy genuinely smiled. She honestly didn't know what she did to deserve such great friends.

"Thanks Dal." she said.

"Don't mention it...seriously."

oOoOoOoOoOo

"You know, between normal, boring pasta and bright green or blue...I know what I'd rather." Sodapop complained as he sat down at the dinner table, next to Steve who decided to crash the night.

"Yeah, and we'd rather keep our stomaches, Little Brother." Darry said, messing up Soda's hair. Soda laughed and shoved his brother away before pouring himself a big glass of chocolate milk. While her brothers sat down at the table, Mel brought over the plates of spaghetti. She was about to sit down when the front door opened and Dal came and sat at the table.

"Hey, where've you been?" She asked, putting a plate in front of him. But he simply looked at her, and she understood. She smiled at him in thanks before sitting down and joining her family for dinner.

oOoOoOoOoOo

It was probably two in the morning...or maybe it was three. Whatever time it was, Two-Bit didn't really know...nor did he care. The days had all been mashed together ever since he left the Curtis place. As soon as he left, he headed straight to the store and lifted as many bottles and cans of booze as he could and just wandered around, drinking himself into a stupor ever since. Occasionally he would wake up and find himself on his couch or living room floor; no doubt thanks to the help of his mother, but then it would just repeat the following night.

As he polished off yet another bottle of cheap alcohol he found around the house, his thoughts drifted back to the reason for his temporary madness.

Kathy.

The girl he had been dating for nearly four years...was pregnant...with his kid. How could he have been so stupid to have let it happen? And she was actually considering keeping it!

He clutched his head as all his thought jumbled together painfully...plus the effects of the constant amount of alcohol were probably setting in. Still, he opened his jacket and pulled out yet another bottle of beer.

He stumbled his way along the streets, bottle in hand, not at all sure where he was going. He just wanted to get as far away with his thoughts as possible. He lifted his beer bottle to his lips, sculling the three quarters that was left. He was so focused on 'quenching his thirst' that he wasn't watching where he was walking, and tripped; landing face first on a semi-soft surface.

Two-Bit groaned to himself as he pulled himself away; noticing that it was grass that had cushioned his fall. He had landed on a lawn of some kind. As he managed to pry himself into a sitting position, he looked around, surveying his surroundings.

He had somehow ended up outside his high school. He felt kind of sick, being there on a weekend of all times. Normally, he didn't mind the place, but his bubbling anger and current state of drunkenness wasn't helping his situation.

Out of the corner of his eye, he found something stuck to the bottom of his shoe. Pulling it off, he noticed that it was a photo of Mel and Dal, when they were at the beach that time. Two-bit then realized that it must have been the photo that he smashed the other day in Mel's room. How he hadn't realized it was there, or how it stayed on his shoe was beyond him. Glaring at the picture, he tossed it aside, unable to look at their happy faces at that moment.

Two-Bit then searched the ground for what had caused his ungraceful fall. A rock, plain and simple. He picked it up and studied it...before getting an idea.

oOoOoOoOoOo

When Darry left for work that morning, he left the rest of the household sleeping. While Johnny headed home for the night and Pony to bed early, the others [being Soda, Steve, Mel and Dally] had a pretty late night the night before; having stayed up playing a copious number of poker games, drinking and having fun. They had all woken up that morning, but were suffering from both sleep deprivation, and in some cases, mild hangovers, they decided to go back to bed for the day.

Dally woke up that evening around three thirty. As he got up to get ready he noticed that Johnny had left his jacket behind. Sighing to himself, he got in the shower and got dressed before deciding to take it back to him.

As he grabbed the jacket, he stuck his head in once more to check on Melody, who was still fast asleep. Silently, he moved in from the doorway and over to the bed. He knew he should tell her he was leaving, knowing that she would probably kick his ass if he didn't.

Dally looked at her sleeping peacefully, unable to hide his grin. Quietly, he leaned his face to hers, nuzzling her neck.

"Hey...kid." he said quietly. Mel moved a little before waking up a little bit.

"Hmmm." She said.

"I gotta go do some stuff before stoppin' by Johnny's. I'll be back in an hour or so." He said. Mel yawned and hugged the pillow closer to her.

"Okay...do you want French toast or pancakes for breakfast?" she asked sleepily. Dal chuckled a little bit.

"Breakfast?" he wondered. "It's already four thirty in the afternoon."

"So?" she asked stubbornly. "You can have breakfast any damn time of the day."

"Whatever tastes better with ice cream." Dal said, hiding his laughter. Mel smiled to herself, remembering vaguely that they wanted to go to dairy queen the night before.

"You'll go get the ice cream?" she asked hopefully. Dal rolled his eyes, but smiled all the same.

"Yeah babe, I'll go get the ice cream." He said. Mel smiled; content with that answer.

"Okay...say hi to Johnny for me." She said, settling back down to sleep. Dal simply looked at her once more.

"If I told you I love you...what would you say?" he asked. Mel snorted with laughter before pulling him down towards her.

"I love you, Dally." She said, kissing his lips lightly. Dal grinned against the kiss.

"I love you too." He said. He kissed her once more before pulling away and leaving the room. As he entered the living room, Dal saw Steve sprawled out on the couch snoring loudly. Soda was sitting in the arm chair, not quite awake.

"Hey Dal, can you ask Mel for some French toast?" he asked, not bothering to open his eyes. Instead, he rolled over and went back to sleep. Dally simply rolled his eyes and headed for the door.

"Sure thing Soda." He said, closing the screen door behind him.

oOoOoOoOoOo

After taking him his jacket, Dal and Johnny headed on over to Dairy Queen to pick up the ice cream for breakfast. As they headed down the road, they noticed that they were being followed. Not by a Corvair or a Mustang...but by a cop car.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Mel was in an unusually happy mood that evening as she stood at the stove, flipping pancakes and mixing more batter. She honestly hoped that Dal would be back soon with the ice cream. She was getting hungry and the already cooked pancakes would be getting cold pretty soon.

"Can't we eat yet? I'm starving!" Steve complained. He reached out for one of the cooling pancakes on the plate, only to be smacked with the spatula by Mel.

"No you can't eat yet!" she said. "We need ice cream. Now, go sit at the table with Soda and shut the hell up."

Steve mumbled incoherently to himself as he sat down beside his best friend at the kitchen table. Finally, the sound of the screen door slamming came from the living room. Mel smiled to herself as she wiped her hands on a hand towel.

"Seriously, it takes that long to get ice cream, Dal?" she called out.

"It's not Dal." a voice called out from the living room. Mel looked confused as she headed into the other room. Darry was standing in the doorway, looking tired and saddened. Beside him, stood Johnny, looking similar.

"Oh, Darry, it's you. I thought you were Dal for a minute." Mel said, laughing at the thought of confusing her brother and her boyfriend. "No matter, come on in guys. We're gonna have pancakes. We just gotta wait for Dal to get back with the ice cream."

She smiled at her brother and started to head back into the kitchen when his voice stopped her again.

"Mel, stop. I gotta talk to you...all of you." he called out. Mel looked at her brother strangely before heading back into the living room, followed by Steve, Soda and now Ponyboy who had now come out of his room.

"What's going on, Dar?" Soda asked. Darry sighed and looked at the group before him.

"Something's happened." He said. The others looked at him in silence, waiting for him to continue. "As I was leaving work, I drove past the school, and the cops were there."

"The cops? Why?" Ponyboy asked.

"All the windows had been smashed." Darry finished. The others looked at him in complete disbelief. They all talked together, wondering what the hell was going on.

"So someone trashed the school? Sweet!" Steve said, but was soon shushed by the others.

"They found something at the scene of the crime...a photo of you, Mel."

"Of me?" Mel asked, wondering how that was possible. Darry nodded.

"The one of you and Dal at the beach." He explained. Soda furrowed his brow as he thought about the situation.

"Isn't that the picture you had in the frame on your desk?" he asked. Mel nodded.

"Yeah, but that was smashed the other..." she trailed off. Everyone around her looked confused, until realization finally dawned on them.

"Two-Bit." Ponyboy said.

"Wait...Two-Bit smashed the windows at the school? Why the hell would he do that?" Steve wondered. But the others didn't listen to him.

"Goddamn idiot..." Mel mumbled under her breath. Of course he would get arrested for something so ridiculously stupid. She sighed to herself as she headed back into the kitchen to check on what was sure to be cold pancakes no.

"Mel, there's more." Darry said. Mel stopped and turned to face her brother once again. What else could there be? She watched him, silent and expectant. The eldest Curtis shuffled on his feet awkwardly, trying to find the best words to use.

"It's Dally." He said slowly. "The cops have taken him in."

"What?"

"They found the photo of you two and thought it was him. The cops followed us when we were walking this morning." Johnny explained, speaking up for the first time since he got there.

"But...but he didn't do it." Mel stammered.

"We know that." Darry said. "But he didn't tell the cops that. He just let them take him in. He's taking the entire rap for the windows."

"No...No, no..." Mel started.

"He...he wanted me to give you this." Johnny said. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, handing it over to her.

As she looked at it, she realized that it was the photo that Dal kept in his wallet at all times; the photo that Soda took of her and Dal on the night of the dance. Tears filled her eyes as she turned it over. There, scribbled on the back in a messy, rushed scrawl that she could only just recognise.

_I broke my promise. I'm sorry._

And with that, Mel forgot the note, she forgot the ice cream and the pancakes, and she forgot her family standing there watching her with curiosity. She left it all behind and raced out the front door.

**A/N2: So...there we have it. I liked the idea from the book when Johnny told Ponyboy about Dal taking blame for the school windows and thought to myself that because it didn't explain when that happened, or why dally was put away before the novel, the two should go together. I borrowed the idea for the breakfast bit from the movie 'Remember Me', starring Robert Pattinson. Good God that is one intense movie! And I thought it fit the situation here kind of. So yeah, that's the chapter. I might take a little while posting again due to school and all so I hope this will suffice till then.**

**Also, only a few more chapters til the events truly begin. Okay, so let me ask you a question; would you, as my loyal readers, prefer longer and less chapters, or more short ones in this story?**

**Also, I will need your opinion on a poll in a chapter or two also [depending on your answer to the above question]. Remember, let me know what you think...just no flames please =)**

**Stay tuned...and much love! xx**


	57. Over

**A/N: Wow...I'm kinda surprised at myself about how often I'm updating this story. I guess I just want some more drama to happen before we get to the events in the book. Okay, so I had some mega inspiration the other day; my little sister told me she chose to do The Outsiders for her 9****th**** grade English assignment...i was so proud! We read the book together then watched the movie before doing her work together...great bonding sesh :P**

**So this is dedicated to her, cause she kinda told me I had to update the next chapter while she was doing her work...and because it was her 14****th**** birthday yesterday...and we was too sick to celebrate =( so HAPPY BIRTHDAY EM!**

**Well...here's the chapter with the big fight scene between Mel and Two-Bit. I tried my very best to make it really harsh and drama-packed...it's not as good as I wanted it to be, but I still really, really like it...and I hope you will too. You will find that a lot of what Two-Bit says won't make sense all together; it's just a lot of stuff put together, plus a lot of alcohol that he's consumed...so that's why.**

**Okay, so I'll let you read on...hope you enjoy!**

Wrapping her over-shirt around her tightly, Melody was determined not to cry as she walked out of the police station. Three months. That's how long those bastards down at the station were keeping Dally for. Three goddamn months for a crime that he didn't commit, but stupidly took the blame for. Mel was torn about thinking the situation as loyal or just plain stupid.

And what hurt her the most was that they wouldn't let her see him at all. Something about _'no visitation rights within the first twenty-four hours of incarceration' _or some bull like that, but Mel knew it was just because they hated him, almost as much as he hated the lot of them.

It wasn't as if it was the first time that Dal had been locked away, far from it. But this was the first time since they had been together, and it would be the second longest time that they had ever been apart; the first being when he went to New York for those three years.

Sure, it hurt every time he went away before, but Mel wouldn't worry as much. She knew he would be back before she knew it. What was gonna happen now? They had been together for almost a year now...what was so gonna do now he was gone?

She wouldn't wake up with him beside her for three months. No more just relaxing on the couch together, or hiding in the office at work when he came to visit. She was so mad at him for taking the blame like that, especially without telling her anything...but then again, she knew it wouldn't have made a difference if he had.

Mel realised that even though she wanted to be mad at her man, she knew she couldn't. What he did was honourable and loyal to his buddy...

Mel stopped walking as soon as the thought crossed her mind. Two-Bit. It was his fault that Dally was locked up; not entirely but more so than anyone else. She wondered if he even knew what had happened because of his stupid idea of acting out.

Mel then realised that she wasn't too far from the Matthews house. Picking up her pace a little, she walked the block and a half to Two-Bit's house, hoping to get some answers.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Two-Bit was sitting on the front porch when Mel arrived at his house. Well, slumped leaning against the wall was a better way to put it. About half a dozen empty beer cans lay scattered at his feet as he attempted to play the harmonica that Dal gave him a little while back. After playing an off note, he looked up and finally noticed that he had company.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, slurring slightly.

"What the hell is your problem?" Mel asked, walking through the front gate. Two-Bit flinched back a little at the tone of her voice.

"Well, hello to you too." He said sarcastically.

"Was this your idea of a joke?" Mel asked. "Some kind of elaborate stunt of show everyone how _tuff_ you are?"

"Wait, wait, wait...remind me what we're talking about?" Two-Bit asked, completely lost with where the conversation was heading.

"You breaking the goddamn school windows, that's what!" Mel said.

"Oh yeah." Two-Bit mumbled, getting up to speed. He searched the porch for another beer before cracking it open and settling back down.

"You don't even realise what you've done, do you?" Mel wondered, crossing her arms over her chest. Two-Bit rolled his eyes and took a swig of his beer.

"They're just window's Mel...it's not like they had feelings or anything." He said, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. Melody looked at him in complete disbelief.

"You don't have a clue what's happened, have you?" she wondered. The look on her best friend's face said it all. He had no idea. Mel sighed and closed her eyes for a minute, pinching the bridge of her nose as she tried her best to calm down...but so far, it wasn't doing much.

"Dallas is in jail. He took the blame for what you did. He's going to be locked up for three fucking months for no reason and you don't care."

"Well...that's his fault isn't it?" Two-Bit said, shrugging his shoulders. Melody was livid. She resisted every urge to go and slap him.

"No, Two-Bit it's not his fault! It's yours!" She yelled at him.

"Mine? I didn't tell him to do it!" he said.

"No, you didn't! He did it because he's your friend and he did it to save your ass!" Mel cried.

"I didn't ask him to!" Two-Bit shouted defensively. He pulled his eyes away from her and stared at his beer can, his tone becoming more subdued. "I didn't ask for a lot of things."

It didn't take a genius to figure out what Two-Bit was referring to. Melody honestly could not believe how selfish and childish he was acting. Never in the sixteen or so years she had known him, had he ever behaved like this.

"That's the other thing," Mel said. "What the hell happened the other day?"

"The other day...the other day...I'm afraid you're gonna have to be a bit more sfic...sepific...spec...what day are you talking about?"

"Hmm, I don't know Two-Bit, perhaps the one where you locked yourself in my bedroom and broke Kathy's heart!"

"We're not talking about that." Two-Bit insisted.

"The hell we're not!" Mel said. "You think not talking about it is going to make it go away? Well guess what,_ Keith,_ things don't work like that!"

Two-Bit remained silent the entire time, which really only made things worse for him. Whether it was because he just didn't want to talk about his impending parenthood, or the fact that Mel just called him by his first name, it didn't matter. But he was standing his ground with his silence.

"Whether you like it or not, Two-Bit, you're gonna be a father." Mel said, not caring about sparing his feelings any longer. "You think you're the only one that's scared? Have you even considered how Kathy must be feeling? Has she even crossed your mind?"

Once again, Melody received nothing but silence. She was really starting to get pissed off at him now. She sighed deeply and leaned against the porch railings.

"Look...this whole 'running from your problems' thing...it isn't the way to deal with this. I should know. I run away from every problem that I get. I ran when my parents died, the night I got this." she said, pointing to the scar on her neck. "...But this isn't something you can run out on. You should..."

"No! I shouldn't do anything! Not me!" Two-Bit yelled suddenly. "This is none of your business, why can't you realise that? This wasn't supposed to happen! It wasn't meant to be out lives that were going to be ruined! It should have been..."

He trailed off, not wanting to suffer for saying what he thought. He thought he was lucky enough that she didn't catch his drift. But he was wrong. Mel simply stared at him for a moment, unable to believe that he would stoop to that level.

"Go on...you know you want to say it." She spat. "Do it!"

"You want me to say it?" Two-Bit wondered. "Fine! It should have been you and Dal! It should be your lives being ruined!"

If looks could kill, Two-Bit would be a dead man. Mel was tired of trying to talk sense into him. If he wanted to be like that, fine. She was more than capable of playing that game.

"That's funny! Of course you would think that taking some kind of responsibility would ruin your life. But then again, you know all about responsibility, don't you?" She said.

"Shut up..." he warned quietly. But Mel was way past the point of rationality at that moment.

"You work hard for everything, don't you? You work hard in school, have a job to support your...oh wait a minute...that's everyone else around here!"

"Shut up, Melody..." Two-Bit growled. Melody knew she had started to get to him. But she wasn't going to stop. He needed to realise the severity of his actions and damn it if she wasn't going to be the one to do it.

"Jesus Christ, you really do take everything for granted, don't you? Don't you get it? You fucked up! Big time! And now a friend is taking the heat for it! And what are you doing about it? Surprise, surprise! You're sitting on your ass getting drunk...as fucking usual!"

"I'm nineteen years old; I don't have to listen to you about this... I don't gotta listen to anyone!" Two-Bit yelled. Melody scoffed at him and threw her hands up in the air.

"You wanna be treated like that? Then fucking grow up! If you want people to take you seriously for once in your goddamn life, then maybe you should behave like a nineteen year old instead of a spoilt little kid!"

Two-Bit once again remained silent, finishing the last of his beer. He wasn't going to let his anger show. Mel couldn't help but glare at him.

"You know who you are? You're acting just like your father!" she said.

That was it. Two-Bit cracked. He got to his feet throwing his can aside and sending empty cans flying all over the porch. His eyes flared with anger as he took a menacing step towards her.

"Don't you dare compare me to that bastard!" he spat venomously. Mel simply put her hands on her hips, not feeling threatened at all.

"Why the fuck not? He couldn't take it; he couldn't take having _two_ kids, so he walked out on you and your Mom. Now look at what you're doing the exact same thing! You always told me that you were never going to be like him."

"I'm nothing like him...Nothing!" Two-Bit shouted. "I'm still here if you haven't already realised! I haven't run away from my problem...I'm just pretending that it doesn't exist! And that suits me just fine, so why don't you mind your own goddamn business for a change? Or is that too hard for you to do? Poor Mel hates not being the hero all the time. Like you said before, _you_ run away from everything. Every time something good possibly comes your way or if the smallest thing goes wrong, you run and let me tell you, it does everyone's fucking head in! You're nothing but a scared little girl who isn't strong enough to deal with anything the world throws at you. So don't come over here on your high horse telling me what I have to do with my life! You have no fucking idea what I'm going through right now. You're so obsessed with playing happy fucking families because you can't have your own. So your perfect little family fell apart...whoop-de-fucking-do! Now you're just like everyone else around here in this god forsaken hellhole."

Mel felt as though she had been punched in the stomach too many times. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever think that Two-Bit, the guy who was supposed to be her best friend no matter what, had said such horrible things to her. Drunk or not, she couldn't believe it. She didn't _want _to believe it.

Not knowing what came over her; Mel walked over to him and slapped his face. Two-Bit flinched as he turned his head, putting a hand on his already stinging cheek.

"So this is how you thank the people trying to help you?" she asked, tears already blurring her vision as they fell down her cheeks. "I guess everyone's right...you are a joke. I kept telling myself that you were better than this, Two-Bit, I thought you were the bigger man...so did Kathy. But I guess we were both wrong. I was just too blind to see it. I won't make that same mistake again. It's good to know what you really think of me. I'm glad that 16 years of friendship means that much to you...forever and always right? That's what you always said?"

Wrapping her arms around herself in a protective hug, Melody walked down the front steps towards the gate. Two-Bit silently watched her go, trying to ignore his now blistering cheek, complete with newly-formed hand print.

As she reached the front gate, Melody stopped, choking back on a sob. She took a deep breath as she reached for the latch on the gate. She stopped suddenly, and turned to face him once more.

"You break my heart." She said, wiping another tear away. "Then again, you break everyone's heart."

And with that, she walked out the front gate into the darkness, leaving him alone on his front porch.

Two-Bit watched her walk into the darkness, unable to move or say anything. He looked to the floor; staring at the mess of beer cans and rubbish at his feet. He then turned towards the door, finding his mother leaning against the doorframe inside.

Lynn simply looked at her son for a moment before heading back inside without so much as a word.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Mel kept walking and waling until she was as far away from the Matthews' house as she could be. Finally, she couldn't take it any longer. She collapsed to her knees as more and more fresh tears fell down her cheeks; burning her face like acid.

She couldn't believe what had just happened. They both had been so cruel to each other...but what he said...bringing her family of all things into it...was just so unbelievably hurtful...and he didn't seem to care one little bit.

One thing Mel had always prided herself on was her lasting friendships. She had seen best friends grow apart over the years...but she never thought that she and Two-Bit would ever be like that. But now...she just wasn't sure of anything any more...only one thing. She had to get out of that town...even just for a little while.

Regaining her composure, enough to go home, Melody got to her feet and continued her journey home.

oOoOoOoOoOo

When she got home, Mel noticed that all the lights inside were still on, telling her that at least one of her brothers were still awake. She really didn't want to face them at the moment. Quietly, she snuck around to the back door and silently entered the house.

The sound of the TV filled the house as Mel tiptoed inside through the kitchen. She craned her neck to see her two older brothers sitting in the living room on the couch and armchair respectively. As silently as she could, Mel headed to her room. She grabbed one of soda's old shirts and a jacket before looking around for her keys. After searching around for a moment, she grabbed them from her desk and left the house, making sure that the screen door didn't slam shut behind her.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Melody honestly had no idea how long she had been driving. She simply got into her car and left. She had no clue where she was going, or why. She only knew that she had to get away, not wanting to think about what her brothers would say to her when she saw them next.

If her calculations were correct, she was somewhere near Oklahoma City; probably just out of it by the looks of the place. But that was only about two hours away, she was sure she had done more driving than that. She praised herself on managing to avoid feeling tired at all, even after a big day. As she glanced out her window, Mel spotted an emergency phone a little way ahead. She pulled over along the side of the road and got out.

Melody debated for a few minutes, wondering if she should call home. She had no idea if her brothers were still awake, wondering where she went, or whether they had retired to bed for the night. She knew that the longer she waited, the more pissed off her family would be.

Sighing to herself, Mel grabbed the phone, put some change in and waited for someone to pick up on the other line.

_Hello?_

"Soda?" Mel asked warily.

_Melody! Oh my god! Where are you? Darry's going out of his mind..._

"Soda, I need you to listen..." but she didn't get to finish she could hear her eldest brother in the background, demanding that Soda hand over the phone. After a moment or two of battling, a new and angrier voice came on the line.

_Where the hell have you been? Where are you now? _

Darry's voice was bordering somewhere between livid and worried. Mel sighed; she hated putting her brothers through this.

"Calm down, Darry." Mel said. "I was at the station."

_The station? What did they say? _ Soda asked. Mel knew that he was now fighting Darry for control of the phone. Darry pushed his little brother side, trying to hear what their sister had to say. After giving up the two listened in as best they could.

"Three months, unsure about a chance for good behaviour...though doubtful. They wouldn't even let me see him." She said.

_So you mean to tell me that you were at the station for four hours?_

"No, Darry...I went to find Two-Bit." Mel said.

Silence fell over the Curtis household after that small revelation. The two boys had no idea what to say to their sister.

_Mel...baby, what happened? _ Soda asked cautiously.

"I really don't wanna talk about it." Mel said, trying to dismiss the idea and move on with the conversation.

_Melody...tell us._

"I yelled...he yelled... I called him irresponsible...and a drunk...among other things." Mel said. "He called me a scared little girl who is obsessed with playing happy family 'cause I don't have one of my own...among other things... I slapped him...more yelling...pretty sure our friendship's over."

_He said WHAT?_

_Are you sure?_

"Uhh, yeah Soda...I was there." Mel said.

_Why that little...I swear... I'll..._

"You'll do nothing, Darry." She said.

_But Melody..._

"No buts, Soda." She insisted. The line was quiet for a moment before the eldest brother realised something.

_Melody...where are you?_

"Uhh...that's what I was calling about." Mel said nervously.

_Oh god. She's killed Two-Bit and now she's in jail._ Soda said.

"No I didn't... I'm a little further away then that." She said.

_...how much further?_

"...Oklahoma City." Mel said.

_WHAT? _

Mel had to pull the receiver away from her ear after Darry's little outburst.

_What the hell are you doing in Oklahoma City? What the hell made you think you could drive all that way without telling us...?_

_...how did you get your keys? _Soda wondered incredulously.

"I'm sorry, okay! I didn't know what else to do! I had to get away. Please don't be mad, Darry."

_You're damn right I'm mad. Melody Jean Curtis how could you do something to unbelievably stupid? What if something happened to you? I can't even call the cops..._

"I know, I know." Mel said, rolling her eyes.

_You're coming home right now!_

"No, Darry."

_What do you mean no?_

"Darry, I can't. Please understand. I just need some time to myself. I'll be home soon, I promise. A couple of days at most." Mel pleaded.

_Absolutely not._

"Then till tomorrow. I'm already here, Darry...just give me some time to cool off. You know what happened last time I was this angry at home." She said. She could practically hear Darry shudder at the memory. The broken glass...the ripped notebooks...

Mel waited with baited breath for an answer. Honestly, she knew there wasn't much her brothers, or anyone else, could do about it. But she still wanted to hear it. Finally Darry's voice was heard once more.

_Fine._

_What? You're actually going to let her stay out there? Darry, are you out of your mind?_

"Thank you Darry...I'll be home soon, okay?" Mel said, trying her best to ignore her twin's outburst.

_Be safe, babygirl. _

"I will...I love you both." Mel said. The line went dead. Mel sighed to herself and put the phone back on the hook before wandering back to her car.

She had no money to stay in a hotel or anything, and to be perfectly honest she had no clue where the nearest hotel was. She was parked on a long stretch of road, with little to no civilisation surrounding her, just out of Oklahoma City. It was honestly probably the best place for her to stop and think for a while.

Grabbing soda's shirt and jacket, Mel hopped up onto the hood of the car and just stared up at the stars. She absentmindedly played with her locket and Dal's ring; both now conveniently on one chain. She couldn't stop the tears from falling once again as she thought about everything that had happened over the last 24 hours.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Pulling up outside her house the next afternoon, Melody tried to brace herself for what was sure to be a massacre thanks to her eldest siblings. She had done the right thing, came straight home after her little 'trip', only making two stops along the way; one for gas and the other for a 'peace offering' of sorts.

She pulled up outside the house and parked in her usual place. The voices and sounds that were coming from inside the house making her unsure whether she was glad or not that someone was home when she returned. Sighing to herself once more, Mel grabbed her things and headed inside.

She found it strangely calming to find a usual scene when she entered the living room. Steve and Soda were sitting at the table, engaged in some kind of card game or competition. Ponyboy was seated at the end of the table, trying to do his homework while dodging flying aces and kings. The only thing that Mel found odd or different was that Darry was leaning against the kitchen bench, reading the newspaper and not in his arm chair. No matter, she was sure he would yell at her no matter where he was sitting.

Mel honestly believed that the screen door slamming behind her would alert everyone of her presence. But, alas, it did not. It wasn't until she made her way to the doorway of the kitchen that someone actually noticed her.

"Mel." Pony said, looking up from his textbook. At that single word, everyone else stopped and looked at her. Even Darry turned away from his paper to look at his sister, although not with the warm, welcoming smile like the other boys.

Mel suddenly felt a little awkward standing there, waiting for something to happen; someone to ask her where she'd been, one of her brothers to start yelling at her...but nothing. Sighing to herself, Mel walked over to the table.

"Consider this a peace offering." She said, putting two Dairy Queen bags on the table in the middle of the scattered card piles. The three at the table looked at each other and pretty soon both the game and the homework were forgotten as they started digging into barbeque sandwiches and French fries.

Mel looked up at her big brother and saw that he was simply looking back at her emotionlessly. He suddenly broke eye-contact and left his newspaper behind and left the room.

"Where'd you get the money for this anyhow?" Ponyboy asked.

"Found it all under the car seats." Mel said, her eyes still following her older brother.

"You know...this doesn't buy back forgiveness." Soda said. Mel shrugged her shoulders.

"I know." She said, before following after Darry.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Darry was standing out the back, leaning against the porch railings when Melody found him. Silently, she walked over and stood by him. The two remained quiet for a moment or two; not knowing what to say or how to say it. Although unknowingly to both of them, the silence seemed to drag on forever.

"Go ahead." Mel said suddenly, "Do your worst."

Darry turned to face his baby sister silently, trying to come up with the best words to use. Melody stood her ground, looking him in the eye; ready to face whatever punishment came her way. She was not going to run away. Finally, he reached his hand out and put it on her shoulder.

"You ever pull a stunt like that again and I'll skin you, understand?" he asked.

Mel looked up at him in complete disbelief. She sure as hell wasn't expecting _that._ Darry send her a small, but reassuring smile before heading inside to try and salvage a burger or a couple of fries. Mel started after him, still in shock, but allowing a small smile to grace upon her lips.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Later on, Mel found Sodapop outside working on the truck. She walked over with two mugs of hot chocolate and stood beside him, leaning against the door as she waited for him to finish.

Even thought he knew she was there, Soda didn't pay her any attention whatsoever. He just kept working under the hood of the truck. Finally, Mel sighed.

"I'm sorry okay, what else is there for me to say?" she asked. Soda stopped what he was doing for a moment, before continuing.

"You could admit that it was stupid and reckless and completely irresponsible of you." he said, not looking at her.

"Yes, it was...all of that and more." Mel said. "Now quit that before your hot chocolate goes cold."

Soda sighed and finished up under the hood before wiping his hands and accepting the mug from his sister. Both twins leaned against the Ford, sipping their drinks in silence; waiting for the other to break the silence.

"You had me worried sick, you know that?" Soda said. Mel nodded her head silently, taking another sip to stop herself from talking.

"Why did you do it?" her brother wondered. Mel paused mid drink to think of a logical explanation for her twin to understand...yet found that she couldn't think of much.

"Trust me, Soda." She said. "You would have done the same thing too."

"You think?" Soda wondered. Mel nodded.

"Say if it was Sandy..."

"What?"

"What if it was Sandy; say she got taken away for something she didn't do. Then you had a huge fight with Steve and you knew your friendship was over because of it...i think you would have done the same thing." Mel said.

Soda didn't say anything. He simply drank more of his hot chocolate before handing Mel the empty mug and got back to work.

"By the way...thanks for lunch." He said, reaching for a screwdriver that was lying nearby.

"I thought you said it didn't buy back forgiveness?" Mel wondered.

"It doesn't..."Soda said. "But it helps."

Mel grinned at her twin brother weakly before taking the empty mugs and walking back up the steps. She stopped for a moment to gather her thoughts.

She had honestly never felt so alone in her entire life. She had no idea how she was going to do it, without her boyfriend or her best friend...but one thing was for sure...the next three months were going to be the longest of her entire life.

**There you go! Hope you liked it...please don't forget to let me know your thoughts...come on...press that little review button!  
**

**Much Love xx**


	58. Revelations

A/N: Hello all! I am so, so, so, sorry about my lack of updating...I've been super busy with school and getting my life in order to be honest. Also, I've had mega writers block about what to include and what not to include in this chapter...so I kinda hope this is alright for y'all. This chapter was going to include a flashback about when Kathy and Two-Bit met, but I haven't exactly finished it, so that will hopefully come later on. I hope the flashback I did include is to your liking :D

Oh, and another thing... THANK YOU ALL! This story has reached over 300 reviews! [301 presently :P ] That is absolutely incredible! I honestly didn't think that I would get that many! It means so much to me to know that there are people out there who like what I create and write and enjoy reading what I come up with.

Okay, so there's a fair bit happening in this chapter, so it was pretty fun to write [eventually] and I have a pretty good idea of some more things to happen before the main events, but please...dont hesitate about letting me know what you want to see happen. I know I keep saying this, but although this story is partially written for my enjoyment, it is mainly written for you; my wonderful and loyal readers, so there's nothing I want more than to give you a story that you will love even more. So, just think about it and please let me know if you think of anything at all; I'm open to all kind of suggestions :D

Okay? Okay! Onwards with the story!

_1957_

_The sounds of screaming voices and things smashing filled the entire house. Two-Bit and sat quietly in the sanctuary of his room, trying to not pay much _attention_ as to what was happening outside that door. It wasn't an unusual occurrence now; his parents had been fighting ever since he could remember, but even more now that Tina was born._

_Two-Bit sighed at the thought of his newborn sister, lying blissfully asleep in her the arms of his best friend, just across from him. How they could even think of fighting with a baby and two other children in the house was beyond him. He was just lucky that Mel was there to help him move her into his room and get her back to sleep._

"_She's out." Mel said, interrupting his thoughts. Two-Bit smiled weakly in thanks. Having a best friend with a little brother and knowledge about that kind of stuff really came in handy sometimes. Carefully, she got up from her spot on the floor and carefully placed Tina on the makeshift bed on Two-Bit's mattress._

_Pretty soon, the two heard a loud slam and raced to look out the window. Two-Bit's father was storming down the front steps and over to his car; carrying a large suitcase. He threw it into the back of his car before getting in and speeding down the road._

_Silence fell over the house as they stood in shock, still watching the empty driveway. They could only just hear the sounds of Lynn crying as she attempted to clean up the shattered remains of her house._

_Melody sighed and turned to face her friend. A look of pure anger and hatred was clear on his face; as if he wanted to punch something just to vent his anger. Suddenly, he opened the window forcefully and grabbed her hand._

"_Come on." He said, climbing out the window._

"_What about Teeny, and your mom?" Mel asked. Two-Bit shook his head._

"_She knows she's in here. Please Mel..." _

_Mel sighed to herself and started climbing out the window after him. She knew deep down that she couldn't have said no to him. Especially now._

_When they were both out into the yard, Two-Bit grabbed her hand and the two ran off down the street. _

_When they finally made it to the vacant lot, they were both exhausted. Mel fell over her own feet and landed on a soft patch of grass. Sitting up, she looked over at Two-Bit. He was standing with his back turned to her, facing a tree. His breathing was uneven, a sure sign that he was mad._

_Mel sighed to herself and got up, hesitantly moving closer to him, gently resting a hand on his shoulder._

"_You okay?" she asked. Silence was her only reply. Sighing in frustration once more, Mel moved so she was facing him. In all the years she had known him, she had never seen him in such a state._

_His face was red; his eyes set focused on some invisible force in front of him; as if he was silently fighting with himself to control his emotions. He was mad, that's for sure. But that wasn't the only thing. Just by looking at him, Mel could tell that he was so close to tears. Whether or not they were out of sadness or rage, perhaps a bit of both, she knew that he was willing himself not to break._

"_I hate him." He said._

"_Two-Bit..."_

"_I hate him so much! Everything he's put us through...what he's done to my mom for all these years... I'm glad he's gone. The fucking coward...I hate him!" he kicked the tree repeatedly with all his might, taking out a rather large chunk of it. Mel moved and threw her arms around him, begging him to stop_

_Finally, it was too much for him. He fell to his knees, still in her arms, as he let out an anguished cry. Mel could feel her own eyes filling with tears as she held him close. She had no idea why him and his mother and baby sister deserved to go through something like this. It was more than an eleven year old boy should be able to stand._

"_Hey, it's alright..." Mel said, trying to calm him. "Like you said...he's gone now. You don't have to deal with him any longer."_

_After another moment or two, she finally felt him calm down a little. She heard him sniff and try to wipe away any more tears before he finally pulled out of her grasp and sat up._

"_You...you must think I'm a total wimp right now, huh?" he wondered, wiping his nose on his sleeve. Mel smiled sadly and shook her head._

"_Never." She said, wiping his eyes. "Besides, mama says real tough guys aren't afraid to cry." This made him chuckle a little. Mel smiled end lifted his chin so they were looking eye-to-eye._

"_Listen to me." She said, taking control of the situation. "You gotta be strong now. You're the man of the house from now on, so you gotta look after your mama and Teeny. You understand me?"_

"_Yes ma'am." Two-Bit joked. Those two words made Mel sigh in relief. His usual joke-crackin' self was still in there somewhere. _

_The two sat in silence for a while; letting everything sink in properly. Two-Bit thought about the fact that his deadbeat father was finally gone. Never again would he yell and scream and abuse his mother ever again. Melody was right; he was the man of the house now. It was his job to protect his mom and sister from now on. After a moment's peace, his face turned serious once again._

"_I ain't ever gonna be like him." Two-Bit said quietly. "Not ever. I ain't no coward...I won't run away."_

"_I ain't gonna let you." Mel vowed. Two-Bit looked up at her and smiled gratefully. He sighed and started drawing in the dirt absentmindedly._

"_But...you and me, babe...we gotta stick together." He said. "I can't do this on my own."_

"_You won't have to...you've got all of us...and you've always got me." Mel said. Her words were so sincere. If it was anyone else, he might not have believed them. It was kinda hard to imagine that a couple of ten or eleven year old kids were talking like that. It was then that Mel had an idea._

"_Hey, you still got that blade you got the other day?" she asked. Two-Bit raised his eyebrow before reaching into his pocket and flicking out his newest love; the black-handled blade that he'd scored a couple of nights back. He demonstrated a few fancy movements that he had been working on._

"_You're an idiot." Mel said, rolling her eyes as she held out her hand expectantly. Two-Bit grinned and handed it over to her._

"_But you love me." _

_Mel simply smiled and shook her head. As Two-Bit was about to pull his hand away, Mel grabbed his wrist and turned his hand over so his palm was facing up._

"_What are you doing?" Two-Bit wondered._

"_Do you trust me?" Mel wondered cryptically. Two-Bit raised his ever quizzical eyebrow once again._

"_Not particularly, no." He said. Mel looked at him in shock. But he just smiled and nodded for her to continue._

_After she made sure his hand was completely flat and relaxed, Mel took the blade and traced it down his palm, leaving a trail of blood behind. Two-Bit thought he was mighty brave; he only flinched once. When she was done, he raised his hand and inspected the cut before nodding in approval._

_Mel pulled her sleeve up and flattened her palm before handing him the blade. Two-Bit wiped it clean on some grass before proceeding to give her an identical cut._

"_Oww!" Mel hissed. "I didn't hurt you that much!" _

"_Quit gabbin'." Two-Bit said as he once again cleaned the blade and put it away. Mel glared at him for a moment before looking down at her hand._

"_Ready?" Two-Bit asked. Mel looked up at him and smirked before holding her hand out. Two-Bit did the same and grasped her hand; joining their blood together._

"_Always and forever, right babe?" he asked. _

"_Yep...always and forever"_

Mel could feel the tears in her eyes as she remembered that night all those years ago. Up until now they had both kept their promises. But now after everything that had happened...she knew it was no longer possible. As much as it pained her to say it, she had allowed Two-Bit to become like his father...even if she didn't realize, and she could no longer keep the promise of 'always and forever'.

Lying back against her pillows, Mel lifted her right hand above her, looking at the scar that lay across her palm. She hesitantly traced her fingers across it, sending a small shiver through her veins. She had always thought that it was the only scar that she was proud to have. Now, it was just a constant reminder of heartache and broken promises and friendships.

Their entire little world was falling apart around them. Kathy was pregnant, and the father of her kid wanted nothing to do with any of it. Dally was in jail for a crime he didn't commit. Two-Bit, the source of both these problems, was acting like a complete moron [to say the least] and hadn't shown his face anywhere for half a month. Darry had been so worked up about everything and more, plus he had started working more hours and was barely home. Ponyboy was in the midst of it all; trying to prepare for one of the biggest races in his life while trying to get by with all the drama at home. And Mel...she wasn't coping at all.

Mel hardly ever laughed anymore, unable to find something or someone to cause her to. She couldn't sleep most nights, for her dreams were plagued with memories and nightmares, much like the previous months. Hell, she couldn't even write properly anymore, and had barely even glanced at her father's guitar let alone touch and play it.

Mel sighed to herself and wondered what had they done to have so much drama in so little time. But her mind was far too jumbled for her to comprehend anything even remotely logical.

Groaning in frustration, she knew she had to get a release of some kind. She was done with crying. She was done with yelling and screaming. She knew what she needed.

She pulled herself up off her bed and headed out to the living room. None of her brothers were home; either at work, the track or somewhere else. Not that she cared in the slightest. It was probably better that way.

She collapsed on the couch and grabbed the phone and dialled. Usually in these kinds of situations, there were a few people she could call, and luckily, she knew all their numbers off by heart. After it started ringing, it took her a moment after it started ringing for her to realize who she had dialled. Slamming the phone back down she sighed to herself. Yeah...in most situations she would call...him. But she can't. Not anymore

Sighing once more, she picked up the phone again and dialled another number, slowly this time so she knew she had it right.

_What d'ya want?_

Mel couldn't help but smile in relief. The all too familiar voice let her know that he did in fact dial correctly.

"Oh wow...real nice way to answer the phone, Tim." She said; sarcasm dripping off her every word.

_Melody? What do you want?_

"A lot of things... but at the moment I just want you to put your sister on the phone."

_...Nahh._

"Damn it Tim, I'm really not in the mood for any of your shit. Please, just put her on!" Mel snapped. She knew he didn't deserve it...at that present time, but she just wanted to talk to Angela.

_Okay, okay! Jesus..._

Mel flinched as she heard Tim screaming in the background for Angela to, quote 'get her scrawny ass downstairs'. God, even he could have a little decency to move the phone away while he called out. The siblings had a screaming match for another minute or so before Mel heard them fight over the phone before a sound vaguely sounding like a punch of some description and a new voice answered the phone.

_Y'ello?_

"Blue." Mel retorted, as she always did when Angie answered the phone like that. "What's up crazy?"

_Is the pot calling the kettle black, now?_

"Ouch...you hurt me Shepard." Mel laughed. Angela laughed on the other end.

_Sorry Mel, but you ain't exactly the sanest person I know._

"Damn straight."

_What's going on?_

"Very little." Mel sighed, lying down on the couch. "You doing anything tonight?"

_Uhh...screaming at my brothers because they're complete assholes. _

"I meant anything of any importance." Mel wondered, rolling her eyes.

_Oh...No, not at all._

"Good. I am in desperate need of a distraction...and booze. Lots and lots of booze." Mel said. She could hear her friend sigh and smile on the other line.

_Am I sensing the need for a girls night?_

"Ahh, I have taught you well, young one." Mel said proudly. "There is hope for you yet."

_Whatever. I'll be over soon. Should I bring the boys?_

"Oh yeah."

_You got it. I'll be over soon._

Mel smiled a little as she hung up the phone. Hopefully a girls night getting totally hammered with Angela would make her feel a little better or at least take her mind off things for a while.

The screen door opened, drawing Mel's attention across the room. She was met with the sight of a pair of ratty, worn-out sneakers being tossed inside against the wall. She shook her head in disbelief as her twin finally made an appearance.

"Why must you insist on throwing things inside?" Mel wondered. Soda shrugged his shoulders innocently.

"Something to do, I guess." He said, tossing his bag aside and running barefoot into his room to get changed.

"How come you're here so early?" Mel asked. "I thought you were going out with Sandy straight after work?"

"Old man closed up early." Soda called out. "So I'm just gonna hang out here for a bit before I get ready here and take her out."

Mel nodded her head in understanding as she curled up on the couch a little more. She twisted her fingers around the phone cord repeatedly; trying to find some kind of simple amusement. She almost didn't notice her brother, now changed out of his DX uniform, come out and stand in front of her. it was only the deep sigh that caught her attention.

"You're honestly making me feel like the worst brother in the entire world." Soda said, popping the collar of his shirt.

"What are you talking about?" Mel wondered.

"Well, while you're sitting here, all alone and sulking-like, I'm heading out and leaving you." Soda said.

"Don't worry your pretty little head, Sodiepop." Mel said.

"No seriously, I can cancel and stay here...Sandy will understand." Soda insisted. Mel smiled at the thought but shook her head. But he still wasn't convinced.

"I really don't mind...I'll even let you paint my nails." He offered. Mel couldn't resist laughing at that one. It was nice to know that her twin cared that much about her if he offered to ditch his date and stay home to he could sacrifice his manliness an let her paint his fingernails.

"Nope, I'm afraid, as tempting as that sounds, I'll take a raincheck...you've got your hot date...and I've got mine." She said. Soda's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

"What?" he asked in disbelief. Mel nodded her head.

"Yep."

"You've got a date?"

"Yep."

"With another guy?"

"Two actually."

Soda couldn't believe what his sister was saying. Wasn't she moping about the house partially because her _boyfriend_ was in prison and here she was, dating not only one guy, but _two?_

"Yeah, their names are Jim and Jack." Mel said. "I think Bud might be involved too." Mel said. "Angie's bringing them."

It took Soda a few moments to realise what the heck she was talking about. She giggled slightly at his expression, while he simply rolled his eyes.

"Planning a drunken party with Ang, huh?" he asked.

"Oh yeah." Mel said. Soda sighed once more and headed into the kitchen. Mel could hear him rummaging through the fridge in search of chocolate milk. She heard the sound of him choking on his drink as he started rushing around the kitchen.

"Don't get milk everywhere!" she called out, laughing quietly to herself. She could still hear him mumbling under his breath. She realized he must have lost track of the time. Honestly, how could he not figure out that he takes a lifetime to get ready? Mel heard a car door shut outside, but was too preoccupied with watching her brother.

Soda ran into his room sand grabbed his shoes and raced into the living room, picking up anything he might need, including the keys to their car. He gave Mel a quick kiss on the cheek before flying out the door, almost knocking Angela over in the process.

The blonde looked at her giggling friend before looking out the front door, silently wondering what had just happened in a matter of seconds.

"What did I miss?" she asked, dumping her bags by the door. Mel sat up and stopped her laughter.

"He lost track of time...again." she said. Angela rolled her eyes and came in and sat down on the couch.

"Well...you're giggling...that's a good sign." She said. Mel smiled sheepishly and rolled her eyes, not wanting to admit that her friend was right.

"Here." Angela said, opening her bag and pulling two large bottles out. Mel smiled in thanks as she picked up the bottle of Jack Daniels.

"Oh my god, thank you." she said. "Where'd you get 'em anyway?"

"Swiped them from Buck's." Angela shrugged. "I think there's some Bud in here too...can't remember, I just got out of there fast."

Mel looked at her friend in disbelief.

"You stole them from Buck? Man, he's gonna kill you when he finds out!" she laughed. Angela scoffed.

"He ain't gonna find out. Besides, there are so many other people he could blame it on...my brother for example...either one of them. I honestly don't think I would be his first thought."

"Good point." Mel said. She unscrewed the lid, held it up as if she was saluting Angela, and drank. She welcomed the burning sensation that came pouring down her throat.

"Wow." She said. "Don't hold back or anything."

"Believe me, I don't plan on it." Mel said, taking another gulp. Angela looked at her friend warily.

"You sure you don't wanna just sit and talk or yell or something?"

"Angie, I'm done with talking. I'm done with crying and yelling and screaming...I'm done with it all. I just wanna sit back and just...relax, just for a little while."

Angela looked at her friend helplessly. She knew that there really was no way of stopping her, but better to go along with it in case something happened. Sighing out loud, she threw her hands up.

"Alright." She said, taking out a can of beer from her bag. She cracked it open, sending a spray of beer in Mel's direction. Angie simply smiled and clinked it against Mel's bottle before drinking. Mel smiled softly and took another sip. It was times like this she was grateful to have friends like Angela Shepard.

oOoOoOoOoOo

A couple of hours later, the girls were in Mel's room, surrounded by empty and half-empty bottles and cans. Mel was lying sprawled out on her bed, staring up at the ceiling blankly with her legs and arms dangling over the side of her bed. The half-empty bottle of Jack was gripped lazily in her hand. Angela was sitting with her back against the bed, flipping through a pile of Mel's magazines, casually sipping from her bottle.

"You know what?" Mel asked, sitting up suddenly. She took a moment to try and gain her balance after such a quick movement. Angie turned her attention away from the magazine and looked at her friend.

"What?" she asked. Mel sat deep in thought for a moment; as if to make sure she knew what she was going to say.

"Guys are stupid." She said finally. Angie subtly rolled her eyes and went back to reading.

"I know, Mel." She said.

"No, no, no, really!" Mel said. "I mean...I live with a house full on 'em. So do you! I mean, I mean they think they're all big and tough and all that shit but really they're just...they're just..."

"Stupid?" Angela offered.

"Exactly!"

"Yeah well, maybe they're just put on this earth to piss us off." Angie suggested. Mel laughed and nodded her head in agreement.

"I know, right?" she said. "They really do piss me off. They go around fighting and racing and drinking and all...then they go do some dumbass thing and wind up in jail...or get their girlfriend pregnant...or fight with their best friend..."

She trailed off after that bit. Even in her drunken state, she still hadn't been able to numb the pain like she wanted to. No matter how hard she tried, she still wound up thinking about them.

"Mel..." Angie sighed.

"No! Its fine, cause you know why? Because I just don't care any more! They can go and do the next dumbass thing if they want. Who needs them?"

"But, it's not always a bad thing right?" Angie wondered, kneeling by the bed. "I mean, what about Dal? He kinda did the gentlemanly thing, didn't he?"

"I guess." Mel mumbled. "It was still a dumbass move though. But I can't really be mad at him, can I?"

"Not really." Angie said. "I'm still shocked that he actually has a heart underneath all that ice."

"Hey!" Mel said. "He always had a heart."

"Yeah, but you brought it out." Angie retorted. "Before you two finally came to your senses and got together, he was just a greasy hood. Now, he's a greasy hood...that cares."

"I guess." Mel admitted with a smile. Angela grinned then thought of something, causing her to laugh.

"You gave the rebel a cause." she smiled. Mel arched her eyebrow at her friend.

"Are you comparing Dally to James Dean?" she wondered sceptically. Angie shrugged.

"I guess I am." She said. Mel sat back on her knees and thought about it for a moment before shaking her head.

"Nah, he ain't James Dean." She decided.

"No?" Angela wondered. Mel shook her head again.

"I always thought I'd find myself my own James Dean, but I guess I got a Brando instead." She said. It was Angela's turn to think about it now. The more she thought about it, the more she agreed.

"Yeah, I can see that." She said, nodding her approval. "And I can totally picture Dally standing outside your window, screaming out your name."

Mel laughed and finished off her bottle of Jack Daniels. She put the empty bottle on the floor and rested back against her pillows.

"I guess he's not that bad after all...no matter how many stupid, dumbass stunts he pulls...I still love him." She said. Angela smiled weakly before picking mindlessly at the holes in her shoes.

"At least you have someone to love." She said quietly. Mel lifted her head to look at her friend.

"Don't worry, Ang. You're true love is out there somewhere, waiting for you." She said. Angela rolled her eyes.

"What? My own James Dean?" she wondered jokingly. Mel grinned and nodded.

"Yep." She said. Angela smiled weakly once more and shrugged.

"I guess he's just hiding really well." She said. Mel rolled over onto her stomach and rested beside her friend.

"Okay, what's Mr. Right like then?" she asked. Angela looked at her for a minute before thinking. What was he like? She couldn't help smiling to herself as she leaned back against the bed.

"Well, he's funny, and knows how to have a good time, but still likes to play it safe at times. He's really sweet; not too much, but just so you can practically forgive him for anything. He's got the most amazing smile that just gives you butterflies every time you see it. He talks really well, like polite and respectfully, he knows how to make a girl feel special. Oh, and he's a gentleman; like the whole opening doors and giving me his jacket and stuff like that."

Mel sat looking at her friend in complete awe. She obviously had the perfect mage of her idea guy. But he sounded far too amazing to come from their side of the tracks.

"Damn girl, this guy sounds too good to be true!" she said. Angela grinned.

"he is." She said.

"So he's a gentleman, huh?" Mel wondered. Angie nodded.

"Yeah, like...opening a bottle of beer for me. You know, not completely classy but still somehow romantic." She said. "Although it would be cool if he did it with his arm or something. I've always admired anyone who can do that."

"Dal doesn't do that for me." Mel pouted. "Oh wait! He did once...but he used his teeth."

"Gross." Angie cried. Mel nodded.

"Yeah, I know...I thought he busted his teeth afterwards." She laughed. Angie shook her head and sighed. Mel grinned at the memory before rolling over onto her back again.

"Like I said sweetheart, he's out there somewhere...whoever he his. I'm sure your true love is out there somewhere."

When she didn't get a response after a moment or two, Mel scrunched her face up in confusion.

"Ang?"

She turned around to look at her friend when she noticed the look of her face. Angela was staring off into space with a distant smile on her face. She knew that face all too well.

"...and by the looks of it you already found him." She said knowingly. She grinned to herself and reached over, flicking Angie on the side of the head.

"Oww!"

"Who is he?" Mel wondered.

"Who's who?" Angela asked confused.

"The guy you're so obviously in love with." Mel said in a 'duh' sort of tone. Angela went quiet instantly. Mel sighed. "Come on Angie! That look on your face is saying it all!"

"There isn't anyone." Angela said, hiding her face. Mel rolled her eyes, not falling for that at all.

"The hell there isn't! Who is it?" She asked. "Come on, Angie!"

"Mel..."

"Do I know him?" Mel asked, pushing it even further. "Who is it? Someone in your brother's outfit? It is a greaser, right? Oh god, please don't tell me it's a Soc, I swear I'll disown you..."

"Who's disowning who?" a voice came from the doorway. The two girls stopped their banter and looked up to see Soda standing in the doorway with an amused look on his face. At the sight of her brother, Mel temporarily forgot about the topic of conversation and smiled brightly.

"Sodiepop!" she called out, jumping up from the bed and throwing herself into his unsuspecting arms. Luckily for both of them, he had quick reflexes and was able to catch her.

"Woah!" Mel said, holding her head. "Not a good idea."

"How much have you had to drink, sis?" Soda wondered.

"Not much." Mel said. Angela snorted.

"Yeah right." She said. Mel turned to face her and stuck her tongue out immaturely. Soda laughed at his sister.

"Well, I ain't gonna be the one to deal with you and your hangover in the morning." He said. Mel playfully punched his shoulder.

"Shut up. So what are you doing here? I thought you were going out." She said. Soda shrugged and set her back down on her bed.

"Well, that was the plan." He said. "But Sandy's sick so I went and out with Steve for a while. Now I'm probably gonna go work on the car for a bit."

Mel nodded her head and fell back against the pillows with a thud, causing the others to laugh. Soda shook his head and turned towards the blonde sitting by the bed.

"Well how about you, Miss Angela? I hope my little sis ain't giving you too much trouble and spoilin' your night." He said. Mel groaned in frustration.

"I'm only 11 and a half minutes younger than you!" she complained. The other two simply chuckled and chose to ignore her little outburst. Angie shook her head.

"Nah it's cool. We're having fun." She said. Soda smiled brightly at her and turned back towards the door.

"Well, I won't keep you any longer." He said. "You ladies enjoy your night. I'll be outside if you need me."

He started towards the door when Mel called out for him.

"Hey Soda!"

"What?" he asked.

"Random question."

"Okay." He said.

"Who would you choose; Angela here or...Sylvia Daniels?" Mel wondered, giggling to herself a little. Soda simple rolled his eyes and smiled at his sister's idiocy.

"Duh," he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Angie of course."

Angela smiled shyly and hid her face against the bed to hide her blush. Mel grinned, obviously pleased with his answer.

"Good answer." She said, nodding her approval. "Now get the hell out."

Once again, soda rolled his eyes at her. He dodged behind the door to get out of the way of the pillow that was just tossed at his head. He tipped an invisible hat to the girls before heading outside. The two remained quiet as they heard the screen door slam before they knew they were safe to talk again.

"He is such an idiot." Mel said, shaking her head. She turned to ask Angela a question but stopped short when she saw her. Her face was all red as she looked at the closed door in front of them. A ridiculously sappy smile was one her face. Melody mentally slapped her self at that moment.

"...Oh my god." She said, sitting up properly. That moment seemed to sober her up a hell of a lot. Angela looked at her quickly.

"What?" She asked, sounding both a little confused and panicked. Mel ran her hand through her hair and sighed.

"How have I not noticed it before? It's him isn't it?" she asked.

"What?"

"Soda...he's your James Dean." Mel said. "You're in love with him."

Angela's eyes widened as she tried to cover it all up. She looked at Mel as if she was from another planet and laughed nervously.

"What? No I'm not..."

"Angie." Mel said warningly. The younger girl looked up at her friend and sighed; knowing there was no use denying it any longer.

"Alright." She said.

Mel looked at her in disbelief. How could she not have seen it before? It all made sense to her now. Before, Angela had totally described her brother perfectly.

"How long?" Mel asked. Angela shrugged her shoulders silently.

"I don't know." She said. Mel sighed and ran her hands over her face. This wasn't good. Not the fact that Angie was in love, that was great. But she had fallen for Soda; a guy who had been in a steady, loving relationship for forever and was so totally and completely in love with his girlfriend. It wasn't good for her; it would only end it heartbreak.

"Angie..."

"I know, I know." Angela said, cutting her off. "He's with Sandy."

"Honey, I wish things could be different for you, god knows I do...but those two..."

"I know." Angela said sadly. "I'm just kidding myself."

"No, sweetie, that's not it." Mel said.

"But it is. They're perfect for each other. So in love and all that." Angela said. "I just wish I had that."

"I'm sorry honey." Mel said, placing a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder.

"I guess I just have to deal with it. You get it, right Mel?" Angie asked. "You know how it feels to love someone like this?"

Mel knew she was right. She remembered all too well how it felt to be madly in love with Dally, knowing that he was still with that tramp, Sylvia.

"Yeah, I do." She said quietly. Angela nodded and sighed.

"He...he really does love her, doesn't he?" she asked. Mel nodded silently. Angela smiled a little. "The sad thing is...I can't hate her. She's too damn nice."

"I know." Mel said, smiling a little. It was true. Sandy was just really nice, even if you didn't know her, she was always really sweet to everyone.

"Well, let's not worry about my lack of a love life any more." Angela said. "Let's drink up!"

"Atta girl!"

oOoOoOoOoOo

The two girls had lost track of the time. It was late, they knew that much, but they didn't care. Mel was way beyond the point of drunkenness now, not that she cared. Angela was a little buzzed, but she knew how to hold her alcohol well. After all, she was a Shepard.

They were now lying side-by-side on Mel's bed, staring up at the roof. The conversation that had taken place had not been forgotten, but was now taboo and was not to be spoken of again; a kind of unspoken vow between the two friends.

"You know, you really gotta get something up on that roof." Angela said. "I'm tired of staring at nothing."

"Okay fine, I'll just call whoever over and they can attack my roof however they want." Mel said, "good enough?"

"It'll do." Angie sighed. Mel rolled her eyes once more, surprised that it hadn't caused her a headache. She quietly drummed her fingers on her mattress, trying to think of something to do or say. Suddenly, she had an idea.

She pulled herself up off the bed and wandered over to her desk, searching through the piles of mess and crap that occupied it. Angela sat up on her elbows, wondering what the hell she was doing.

"here." Mel said, grabbing a pair of scissors. She looked at them for a moment, as if inspecting them before handing them over to Angela. The blonde looked at them for a moment before looking at her friend in confusion.

"what are these for?" she wondered.

"you're gonna cut my hair." Mel said.

"What?"

"yep"

"Mel, I aint cutting your hair...you're drunk." She said.

"I am not." Mel said, but stopped as she saw the look on Angela's face. "well...that's not the point. I've been thinking about it for a while now. It's getting so long and annoying." Mel said.

"But Mel, you look great with long hair." Angela said

"Thanks, but it's halfway down my back…if I just cut it to my shoulders or so…it's still gonna be long." Mel said. Angela sighed and looked at the scissors in her hands.

"What happens if you wake up in the morning and regret it. You'll hate it and then you'll hate me for doing it to you." she said.

"No, I won't!" Mel insisted. "Now are you gonna do it, or am I? Choose wisely, Shepard 'cause I don't think it's a good idea that I handle these in my current state."

Angela sighed and picked them up before scooting to the end of the bed and getting up. She walked over to the door and grabbed Mel's arm before pulling her into the bathroom. She sat Mel down onto the side of the bathtub and got everything ready.

Sure, she had cut hair before, she loved it. She did her own and some of her friends. She would probably do her brothers if they didn't insist on long hair. When she was prepared Angie took a deep breath and held the blades against her hair.

"Well, here goes nothing." She said as she began to cut. Mel watched the floor in quite amazement as she watched the long, brown strands of hair fell to the bathroom floor. After a little while she was done.

"Well, what do you think?" Angela asked. Mel sat up and inspected her new 'do in the mirror. It was just below her shoulders, just like she wanted. She smiled at her reflection.

"I love it!" she said, throwing her arms around the younger girl. Angela breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, hugging her friend back.

"it suits you, I'll give you that." Angela said. Melody smiled and went to go get the broom to clean up.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Angela quietly tiptoed out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Mel had finally passed out after her excessive drinking. She sighed to herself, wondering how she'll deal with her hangover the next morning.

Heading to the kitchen, she decided to go check out what was in the refrigerator, hoping to find something to eat. As she neared the door, she realise she wasn't the only one who had the same idea. She found one Sodapop Curtis sitting at the kitchen table with chocolate cake, completely shirtless and dressed only in a pair of old sweatpants. Silently cursing herself, she turned around to head back to bed.

"Can't sleep, Miss Angela?" his familiar voice whispered. Angie sighed and turned around, only to be met by his smiling face. She loved how he called her that, and that smile wasn't making things easy for her. she suddenly felt quite embarrassed, being seen in her holey shirt and shorts.

"Not really." She said honestly. Soda smiled and kicked a chair out from under the table, offering her a seat to join him. Smiling in thanks, she sat down beside him.

"You want some?" Soda asked, pointing to the rather delicious looking cake in front of him. Angela sighed dramatically.

"You Curtis kids and your damn chocolate." She laughed. "Sure, why not"

Soda grinned and cut her a decent size piece and put it on the other side of his plate.

"Mel out?" he wondered. Angela nodded her head.

"Yeah, although I'm surprised she lasted this long with the amount of alcohol she drank." She said. Soda shook his head.

"Unbelievable." He said. "Well, what about you? You seem fine."

Angela grinned guiltily as she shrugged her shoulders.

"To be perfectly honest, I didn't drink that much." She said. "After an hour or so I just filled up empty beer bottles with water."

"Very nice." Soda said. "I'm impressed."

"well thank you." she laughed. Soda smiled and stared down at the glass of milk in his hands.

"How's she doing?" he asked. Angela looked at him, knowing exactly what he was talking about. She sighed and shrugged, not knowing exactly what to say to him.

"As well as can be expected, I guess." She said. Soda nodded his head sadly.

"She's really hurt, isn't she?" he asked, kind of already knowing the answer.

"well wouldn't you be?" Angela asked him. "Her boyfriend was framed and is in jail for god knows how long; she had the biggest fight imaginable with her best friend and her other best friend just found of she's pregnant and didn't tell anyone until now."

"Point taken." Soda said. Angela nodded and picked at the cake in front of her.

"So have you spoken to Kathy recently?" she asked. Soda scratched the back of his neck.

"Uhh, yeah." He said. "I've been talking to her a bit lately. One of the few she actually wants to see at the moment. I can't imagine why though."

"Well, maybe she thinks you're a good listener or something. I mean, she obviously trusts you." Angela said. Soda smiled and nodded.

"I just can't believe it all. I guess I understand why she didn't tell anyone. I mean, Two-Bit's reaction basically speaks for itself. But she should have known that we'd look after her."

"yeah I know. Do you know how long?" Angela asked.

"just over three months she said." Soda explained. Angela's eyes widened.

"Wow, I just wonder how she managed to hide it for so long." She said. Soda shrugged.

"Well, I haven't noticed much of a change yet. But then again, she had been wearing a lot of baggy clothes recently. We all just thought she was bumming around the house kind of thing." He said. Angela sighed, still kind of in shock about everything.

"Well, it's going to be an interesting yeah ahead, I think." She said. Soda couldn't help but crack a smile.

"That's for dang sure." He said. Angela grinned and stifled a yawn. Glancing up at the clock, she was shocked at how late it was.

"Well, I guess I'm gonna go hit the hay," she said, getting up from the table. "Thanks for the midnight snack, Soda."

She pushed in her chair and was about to leave the room, when he called her back.

"Hey Ang?"

"Yeah?" she asked. Soda looked down at the floor and smiled before meeting her gaze once more.

"Thanks." He said. Angela looked at him confused. What was he thanking her for?

"No problem...for what?" she asked.

"For being so good with her." Soda said. "It helps to know that she's got some great friends like you looking out for her."

Angela bit her lip and blushed, trying unsuccessfully to hide her red cheeks once more.

"Uhh, that's okay." She said. "G'night, Soda."

"Sweet dreams, Miss Angela."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Mel woke up the next morning to sunlight burning its way in through the window. The rude awakening caused her to shield her eyes away and cover herself with the blanket. However, the sudden flinch caused her headache to set into overdrive. What a lovely way to wake up in the morning, huh?

Grasping her head, Mel groaned and threw a pillow over her eyes in a desperate yet futile attempt to drown out both the light and the noise.

The bedroom door opened not a moment later and Angela walked in, showered and ready to face the day.

"Well, good morning, Sleeping Beauty." She laughed. Mel groaned in reply.

"Why are you yelling?" she asked tiredly. Angela snorted.

"Honey, I ain't yelling. That's just the jackhammers in your head." She said. Mel sighed sat up a little to inspect her surroundings. She was in her room; it didn't look like there was any real structural damage, aside from the heaps of empty bottles and cans on her floor.

"Wh...why am I only wearing one shoe?" she asked. Sure enough, peeking out from under the covers, was one of Mel's feet, complete with laced sneaker. Angela shrugged her shoulders.

"No idea." She said.

After a few moments, she was able to drag her friend out of bed and throw her into the shower to freshen up. About half an hour later, Mel re-entered the room looking a little more alive.

"Well at least now you look somewhat human." Angela said, packing up her bag. Mel's response was to flip her off and grab her sunglasses from the vanity table.

"How much did we drink last night?" Mel asked, sitting down on the bed. "And how are you not hung-over?"

"A, we drank a lot...you more than me. And B, I'm a Shepard; it's kinda in the genes to be able to hold alcohol well."

"Bitch." Mel grumbled. Angela laughed a little before becoming serious. She fiddled with her fingers as she tried to figure out what to say.

"Mel, do you remember much from last night?" she asked. Mel ran her hand through her hair and thought about it.

"I remember opening a bottle of Jack...then nothing til now." She said honestly. "Why?"

Angela let her breath go. She honestly didn't realize she was holding it in. Mel had absolutely no recollection of anything they talked about last night.

"No reason."

oOoOoOoOoOo

once Angela left later that morning, Mel decided it was time to make an appearance to her family, just to prove she was still alive. As she headed out of her room, she noticed Ponyboy in the bathroom, trying to fix his hair just right.

"Mornin'." Mel said, leaning in the door way. Ponyboy turned around and looked a little shocked at her appearance. Not just the sunglasses or tired look, but the length of her hair.

"Hey...you cut your hair." Pony said. Mel shrugged.

"Actually, Angela did. I was apparently too drunk last night to hold a pair of scissors." She laughed as she sat down on the edge of the tub. "But Darry don't need to know that."

Ponyboy nodded and got a good look at her before smiling.

"It suits you." he said. Mel grinned and ruffled his hair.

"Hey! Just because you wanted to mess with your hair don't mean you gotta mess mine!" he said. Mel just poked her tongue out at him before leaving the bathroom. Pony simply grinned and shook his head before having to start all over again on his hair.

Making her way out into the living room, Mel could hear Darry's voice. She entered the room to say good morning when she noticed he was on the phone. Not wanting to be rude and eavesdrop, Mel started heading towards her room. Unfortunately, she caught a bit of the conversation and couldn't help but listen.

"Look, I know it's asking a lot, but I gotta take a few more shifts...come on Dan...look, things are tight enough around here...even with the second job...I'll work Sundays too...yeah til late...thanks man...no they don't know..."

Before she could hear any more, Mel headed back into her room. Shutting the door behind her, Mel sat on her bed in a confused daze. She couldn't believe it. She knew that things were tight with money and such, but she never thought it was bad enough for Darry to have to take more shifts. He worked too hard as it was.

Sighing to herself, she knew she had to help somehow. She knew Darry wouldn't approve of much, but at that point, she honestly didn't care. Mel looked around her room, trying to get any ideas on what she could do to help out.

It was then she got an idea. She got what she needed and headed out the door without so much as a word to anyone.

oOoOoOoOoOo

as she made her way towards her destination, Mel stopped by the Dingo. She was about to walk on by when a sign in the window caught her attention.

_Help Wanted._

She knew then that she had to look into it. Mel made a mental note to go and check it out on her way home.

oOoOoOoOoOo

When she arrived back home that afternoon, Mel saw that all three of her brothers were home, as well as Steve and Johnny. Sighing to herself she took the envelope out of her pocket and walked inside.

"Hey, where've you been?" Soda asked, pinning Steve down to the floor by sitting on his stomache. "I thought you'd still be in bed." Mel shrugged her shoulders and walked over to the arm chair where her eldest brother was reading the newspaper.

"Here." she said, handing Darry the envelope. He looked at the small white package as if it was about to explode before looking up at his sister in confusion.

"What is it?" he asked.

"just open it, will ya?" Mel asked impatiently. Darry sighed, still confused, but opened it anyway. By now, Steve had pulled Soda off of him and the two were now eyeing the envelope curiously. Darry's eyes widened as he pulled out the stack of notes.

"Mel, where did you get all this?" he asked. She didn't answer. The other two looked back and forth at her and the money in a mixture of shock and amazement

"There's gotta be like, 40 dollars here." Soda said, completely shocked.

"48 actually." Mel clarified.

"This is a lot of money Mel, where'd you get it?" Darry wondered again.

"Don't worry about that. But I got another job; working at the Dingo a couple of times a week." Mel said.

"So what, they gave you your bonus already?" Steve wondered, only half serious. Darry still stared down at the money in complete disbelief.

"You didn't do anything illegal for this, did you?" Darry wondered. Mel rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"No, now can we just forget about what I did to get it and just accept it?" she asked, heading into the kitchen. As she left the living room, she passed by Ponyboy and Johnny who were coming out of her room.

"Hey Mel, where'd you put your guitar? I've searched everywhere for it but can't find it anywhere." He said.

After that sentence, both Soda and Darry looked at each other in alarm before looking at their sister, silently wishing that their fears weren't true. But seeing her looking at her feet, silent as the grave was all the confirmation they needed.

**A/N: Cliffhanger! Im sorry but I had to leave it there...cause I'm evil :P I know 48 dollars doesn't seem like much, but trust me it was back then...like equal to about 200 dollars or something I think. So yeah, I hope you enjoyed it...and please review and let me know thoughts. Next update should be here when I have less homework, more sleep and some fresh ideas xx**


	59. Your Kid

**A/N: Hello one and all! I'm back with another chapter...obviously :P Okay, so these ideas had been plaguing me for ages but just couldn't be written properly, so I hope this is okay. It's just a lot of things broken up and put in one chapter because I want to get this story moving a little more. I'm thinking at most 3 chapters till the book events begin. So, yeah. This is a little rushed, cause I really wanted to get it done, but I still hope you all enjoy it!**

**On a slightly less happy note, I got a flame the other day complaining that all the characters were OOC and melody was a blatant mary-sue. Look, if you don't like; dont read. It's as simple as that...you flame the story, I delete the comment...whatever.**

**Now onto a happier note; HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY AMAZING PIC! Well, here in Australia it' her birthday...so this chapter is dedicated to her in celebration and also in thanks for the endless amounts of help she has given me over the last 2 years. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TASH!**

**So yeah, please REVIEW and let me know what you think and any other ideas or suggestions...but please, be nice. xx **

"YOU SOLD THE GUITAR?" Darry cried out, making the others flinch a little. Mel ignored the lone tear that managed to escape her eye as she looked at her feet; there was no way she could look her brother in the eye right now...any of them for that matter.

"But, Mel...why?" Ponyboy's quiet and timid voice asked. Mel was sure that listening to his voice alone would cause her to break down is she wasn't careful. Tossing that thought aside, and against her better judgement, Mel looked up out of the corner of her eye to look at him. He was looking at her with sad and questioning eyes. It almost broke her heart then and there. She knew she couldn't look at Soda, knowing that would be the last of her.

"That was dad's..." Soda added in a strained tone. "How could you even..."

"I had to okay?" Mel cried, unable to take it any longer. After her little outburst, she noticed that all three of them looked at her differently; Darry; silent and expressionless; Ponyboy with sad confusion; and Soda...with a look of anger and something else Mel couldn't place.

"Why? Why did you have to?" He asked, still coming to terms with what was happening. "I never thought you would do something like that! What would Dad think about this? He wouldn't have wanted you do sell it, Mel!"

"No! He wouldn't want us to be split up!" she yelled. That shut them all up instantly. The two youngest brothers looked at her in confusion, wondering what she was on about. How on earth did a conversation about their father's guitar have to do with being split up? As the tears fell from her eyes, Mel turned to face her older brother.

"I heard you on the phone this morning. I know we're having problems." She said quietly, once again determined to avoid everyone's gaze. "That's why you're finding any excuse to pick up more shifts at work. So, instead of you working yourself to death, I thought I'd get off my ass and do something.

"I knew I had to give up something that would give us a little bit of money...if only for a little while." She finished. At that moment, not a sound could be heard. The four siblings were at a loss for words. They were so involved in their own little world that none of them noticed Steve and Johnny leaving quietly through the front door. They knew that this new revelation was sure to cause yet another problem for the family, once they ended the silence, and it would be better for all involved that they weren't there to add to the drama.

It was Soda that spoke up first; gaining the sudden burst of courage to ask the question that he and his siblings were all asking silently in their heads.

"Is this true, Darry?" he asked. The eldest brother remained silent, only enforcing Mel's story and their suspicions. The twins looked at their brother sternly, hoping to break down whatever kind of wall he had built up around himself, while Ponyboy was just staying quiet.

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Soda wondered.

"I shouldn't have to!" Darry all but shouted. "I'm the one that has to worry about the money in this family. It's my responsibility, not that of a bunch of kids!"

"Oh that's a real nice attitude, Darry." Mel snapped.

"Well it is!" Darry said, storming into the kitchen. The twins looked at each other and groaned in frustration before following him into the kitchen.

"Baby, you got some studying you could do? This might take a while." Mel said sadly. Ponyboy nodded, thankful for an excuse to get out of the room. He grabbed his book and headed into the room he shared with his brother. Mel sighed and made sure his door was shut before going into the kitchen. Her brothers had already started arguing more by the time she got there.

"What about us?" Soda asked. "Both Mel and I work; we help contribute money in this family."

"You shouldn't." Darry mumbled. Mel rolled her eyes and leaned against the side of the refrigerator, running her hands through her hair in a bid to calm down a little.

"But we _do_, Darry. That's the thing." She said. "We don't mind it. Hell, didn't I just take a second job because of it?"

"You didn't..."

"I know I didn't, but I did." She said, cutting her brother off. "But this...Darry, you shouldn't have kept this from us."

"She's right, Dar." Soda said, leaning against the countertop. "For all this to work, we gotta do it together, not apart. How we gonna stay together if we can't do that?"

Darry remained silent, and the twins knew that they got through to him, to some degree. They looked at each other, silently agreeing that that would be the best that they would accomplish that night.

Soda sighed and headed out of the kitchen. He rested his hand on his sister's arm comfortingly before leaving the room; heading outside to try and find something with the car to keep him occupied for a while.

Mel looked at her brother sadly as he sat alone at the kitchen table. Knowing she would only make things worse by staying, she followed Soda's lead and headed out of the room.

Darry rubbed his eyes wearily, trying to ignore the pounding headache that was threatening to implode in his head. He let out a deep sigh before heading to the fridge to get something strong to drink.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Later that night, Soda opened his bedroom door slowly, making sure he didn't wake his little brother up. He looked inside and saw his little brother sprawled out on the bed, half hanging off, lightly snoring. The desk light was still on; lighting up the huge, messy pile of study papers that occupied the desk.

Soda dragged himself inside and shut the door before wandering over to the desk. But instead of shutting off the light as usual, he simply sat down in the chair by the desk and was left alone with his thoughts.

His eyes ventured across the wall at the large board of papers, postcards and photos that occupied it. Finally, he settled on one of the more recent ones, although looking at it made him feel as though it was a lifetime ago. It was of their family; his parents, his brothers, his sister and him; out for a picnic in the country last year. It was simple. It was harmless. It was a moment frozen in time, never to be changed or altered ever again.

"Our entire family's falling apart, guys." He whispered softly to his parents. "What are we gonna do?"

As he predicted, it was still silent, with the slight exception of Ponyboy's snores. Sighing silently, soda turned off the lamp and got into bed, determined to let his mind rest and forget the new found worries, if only for a little while.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Another two weeks had flown by since the dispute. It was now in the early days of February, and the fractured 'family' had been trying as hard as they could to go on. Dallas had been gone for a month now, and Two-Bit still hadn't shown his face directly ever since.

Steve and Johnny were exactly the same, trying to keep everyone together without actually doing something that would most likely cause damage of some description.

Darry kept working constantly, and kept wearing himself down to the point where he would just drag himself over to the couch of a night and pass out.

Ponyboy was occupied with his race that was coming up the following week. When he wasn't studying, he was running. When he wasn't running, he was sleeping, and so on. Everyone knew that this race meant the world to him and would ultimately help him decide where his future in track may lead.

Melody had been busy trying to split her time around evenly between the Dingo, the DX and her personal life. Even though both jobs kept her on her feet and up at all hours, she still found a small amount of time for her family and, least of all, herself.

Kathy was now almost four months pregnant, and was starting to show. Never before had she been so thankful to have the gang around. She would sit and talk with Lynn when she wasn't working, since she was neutral territory when it came to her son and unborn grandchild. Some days she would go with Angela and visit Mel when she wasn't busy at the Dingo or the DX and chat for a little while. Or, she would be with Soda; whose friendship and loyalty had been one of the things that have kept her going over the passing weeks.

Due to his extensive hours at the DX, Soda had accumulated quite a bit of time off which he had never really put to much use. So, he decided that he would use it on occasion to help out his friend. Kathy at first called him stupid, telling him that he should use his time to relax and focus on his own life rather than her. But Soda didn't listen. So, when Kathy needed someone to talk to, or someone to drive her some where or anything at all, instead of constantly depending on Lynn, her brother or the girls, she had Soda.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Breakfast was a fairly low-key affair that morning. Darry was up and off to work before the sun was even up, leaving the younger three to go about their day without him, as they had grown accustomed to in the passing days.

Mel was leaning against the bench with her hot chocolate in hand as she watched her brothers. Ponyboy was sitting quietly at the kitchen table, reading an article he found in the newspaper about Paul Newman. Sodapop, was his usual self, running around like a mad-man, wither looking for things or getting partially dressed while trying to eat breakfast.

"Hey Pony, you got anything planned this afternoon?" Mel asked. Pony looked up from his article and though about it before shaking his head.

"Johnny and I were gonna go down to the lot. Other than that, no. Why?" he asked. Mel smiled and put her cup on the sink before crossing her arms.

"Well, I was thinking...you're 15 now... I think it's time you learned to drive." She said. Ponyboy's eyes practically bulged out of his head.

"Really?" he asked excitedly. Mel smiled and nodded her head.

"But don't you have to work?" he asked, his smile faltering a little. Mel shook her head.

"I got the graveyard shift tonight." She said. "The afternoon is all yours."

Pony pumped his fist in the air in excitement causing his sister to laugh as Soda skidded his way into the room.

"Hey Soda, guess what? Mel's taking me to drive this afternoon." He said happily.

"That's great, Pone." Soda said, a little distractedly. Mel raised her eyebrow at her twin.

"Soda, your brother just said he's going to drive...he's taking an interest in cars...I thought you'd be a little more excited than that." She laughed. Soda stopped for a moment and sighed.

"I am excited. You're gonna be a tuff driver, little brother. Especially with sis teaching you." Soda said. "But now, I gotta run. I'm already running late."

"Wha...where you going?" Mel called out.

"I'll see y'all later!" was the only response she got. Mel sighed and shook her head.

"I will never understand what goes on with that kid." She said. Ponyboy laughed a little.

"You're still trying?" he wondered. Mel grinned at her little brother.

"Come on. Finish up then we'll go get Johnnycakes and head over to Bucks'."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Soda arrived back at the house with Steve that evening just as dinner was being served. They walked into the house to find Ponyboy and Johnny sitting at the table talking about the driving lesson that afternoon, while Mel, dressed in her Dingo uniform all ready for work, was serving.

"Hey, we were wondering when you would get home." She said as the two teens made their way over to the table.

"Sorry Mel." Soda and Steve said as they started digging into the food.

"So, where were you off to in such a rush this morning?" Mel wondered vas she fixed herself a plate of food for after work. Soda looked up at his sister and then at Steve before getting back at his food.

"Oh you know, here and there." he said, thought almost instantly regretting it as soon as he had said it. Mel stopped and looked at him for a moment as she dried her hands on a towel.

"Where?" she sighed. Soda looked up at his best friend for help, but Steve simply refused to get involved. Melody sighed in annoyance. "Where were you Soda? I swear to god...if you were with the cops or something, so help me..."

"Okay." Soda said, sighing regretfully. All eyes were now on him as the entire kitchen waited for his response.

"So I was down at the jail..." Soda started. Melody looked at him in complete disbelief.

"Are you crazy?" she asked, hitting him in the back of the head with the towel. "Do you have any idea what could happen if one of us gets put away?"

"Will you relax for five seconds?" Soda asked, laughing nervously for a second. Melody sighed and motioned for him to continue. "I wasn't at the jail for me... I was visiting."

It took Melody not even a moment to realize what her brother was talking about. her eyes widened a little and she dropped the towel she was twisting nervously in her hands.

"...visiting." Mel said repeating it to herself quietly. She crossed her arms over her chest and moved towards the doorway.

"Soda, can I talk to you out here please?" she asked. Soda nodded and excused himself from the others and followed his sister into the living room. As soon as he stood beside her, Mel hit her brother on the arm.

"Ow!" Soda complained, rubbing his arm.

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to see him?" Mel wondered, obviously quite hurt about the situation. Soda sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I couldn't." He said.

"You couldn't?" Mel asked slowly. "You couldn't tell me, your own sister that you were going to visit her boyfriend in jail?"

"I'm sorry, okay?" Soda said. Mel sighed and ran her hand through her hair.

"Well, how is he?" she asked. Soda shrugged his shoulders.

"It's Dal and he's in jail...you do the math." He said. Mel nodded and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Did he say anything? I mean, can I go see him or..."

"You can't." Soda said. Mel looked at him confused.

"What do you mean I can't? You just did." She said. Soda sighed once more, trying to figure out what to say to her.

"Mel, Dal...he..." he started.

"He what?"

"He doesn't want you to see him." Soda said finally. Mel's eyes widened as she looked at her brother in disbelief. What did he mean? Was he telling her the truth?

"What do you mean, he doesn't want me to?" she asked with a shaky breath.

"Well, think about it." Soda said. "Dal's mad. Not at you or anyone else, but himself...well, maybe Two-Bit a little, but mostly himself."

"But, he didn't do anything...that's the thing." Mel said.

"He did." Soda said. "He feels bad about being in there. he doesn't want you to see him like that. He feels like he's let you down."

"He said that?" Mel asked, playing with the hem of her dress. Soda shrugged.

"That's what I pieced together. I cleaned it up a little." He said, making her smile a little. Mel sighed deeply. She knew she wanted to be mad at him, both of them really...but she knew she couldn't.

"If you see him again, can you tell him that I...?"

"Already did." Soda said with a smirk. "He loves you too."

"Thanks Soda." Mel said with a small smile. He smiled back and headed back into the kitchen to finish his dinner. Mel sighed to herself before checking the time.

"Alright you lot! I gotta go to work." She said, going to grab her bag from her room. "Darry will be home late, so don't be too loud. Keep the house in one piece and don't trash anything. I love you all goodbye."

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Kathy! Your ride's here!" Scott called out from downstairs. Kathy took one more look in the mirror and sighed before grabbing her bag and heading downstairs.

"I'll see you later." She called to her brother.

"Good luck."

Kathy headed out to the front porch where Soda was waiting in the car for her. she smiled and went over to the front passenger seat.

"Morning." Soda smiled as she got in the car.

"Morning." Kathy said.

"How you feelin'?" soda asked. Kathy looked at him and shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm alright today, haven't been too sick... just more nervous than anything." She admitted. Soda nodded his head in understanding before starting the car and driving off towards the clinic.

"Thanks again for this, Soda." Kathy said. Soda couldn't help but smile.

"I keep telling you, its okay." He insisted. "Besides, today you find out what the little one looks like, right? That's gotta be pretty cool."

"I guess so." Kathy said smiling a little.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at the clinic. Kathy simply stared out the window at in for a few moments while Soda parked the car.

"So, I'll pick you up after, or do you want me to wait inside with you or something?" Soda asked. Kathy looked at him then back at the building.

"Do...do you think you could come in with me?" she asked. Soda simply smiled and nodded.

"Of course."

The waiting room wasn't that crowded as Soda and Kathy waited to be called in. Kathy was a mess; she couldn't stop fidgeting or moving around due to her nerves. Soda sighed and took her hand in his, squeezing it reassuringly. Kathy looked over at him and smiled in thanks.

"Kathy Rawlins?"

Kathy sighed to herself and stood up, ready to face what lay ahead of her. but she noticed that when she got to her feet, Soda didn't let go of her hand. No, he simply stood up and was ready for her to tell him to wait.

"I can't do this alone." She whispered. Soda squeezed her hand once more before leading her towards where the doctor was waiting patiently.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Two-Bit shuffled along the street, kicking an empty pop bottle as he walked along. He was amazed that he hadn't been bored out of his mind for the past month. Usually he could find something to do around town, and usually someone to do it with, but ever since that night...he'd been alone. Even the parties at Buck's were getting less and less fun as time passed.

He wasn't blaming anyone anymore, there was no use in it...he had no one to listen to him. Even his mother was sick of what she called 'his private pity party' and refused to discuss anything about the matter until it was all straightened out.

So there he was, reduced to walking along the streets of Tulsa, practically begging for even the slightest spec of entertainment. He thought about where he could go; there wasn't anything playing at the movie house that he could even pretend to be interested in, and the Dingo would seem out of the question considering that both the girls who he was avoiding now worked there. Still, he had to find something to occupy his time for at least an hour or so.

As he walked down the street, he passed the diner in question. He glanced through the window; noticing some of the familiar faces scattered around at various booths and barstools throughout the place. He could see Tony, one of the cooks yelling at a couple of waitresses to get moving, as he usually did. One of the waitresses flipped him off when his back was turned before grabbing a drinks tray and going to circulate the room.

Two-Bit didn't need to see her face to know it was her; nearly 18 years of knowing each other does that to a person. As he watched her, he noticed how tired she looked, and how annoyed she was getting with a few of the usuals; particularly the group of guys who were getting a little rowdy.

Sighing to himself, Two-Bit moved away from the window and continued on his path. A few feet away, Two-Bit passed the pawn shop. On any other day, he never would have given it a second glance. But today, he wasn't sure why, but he decided to have a quick look in the window. Nothing really jumped out at him, so he decided to go on his way. Just before he had completely passed the store, something right in the corner of the window caught his eye.

There in the window, practically hidden away, was a guitar. Although it pained him to do so, Two-Bit couldn't help but smile at it. _She_ would love it. To be honest, he actually thought it reminded him a lot of the one she already had. It wasn't until closer inspection that he realised how right he was.

"But...it can't be!"

oOoOoOoOoOo

As he pulled up outside her house, Soda noticed that Kathy was acting a little differently ever since they left the clinic. She was still silent, but for a different reason. Before, it was out of fear and nerves. But now, fear was replaced with a smile and a sudden feeling of joy as she stared down at the picture in her hands.

It was kinda unbelievable to think that this was a picture of the tiny little person that was growing inside her at that very moment. That was her baby, and even after the first sight thanks to that picture, she was already madly in love. At that moment, she had no idea why she was so scared in the first place.

"So...how are you feeling now?" Soda asked, pulling her out of her thoughts. Kathy looked up at him and, for the first time in about a month, she smiled. Soda knew that it was mainly because of that little picture.

"You know, for the first time since...all this began," Kathy said, indicating to the small bump in front of her. "I'm actually a little excited."

Soda smiled as he watched her for a moment; returning her gaze back to the photo, tracing her fingertips lightly over it.

"It's my baby, Soda." She whispered in complete awe.

"It sure is." He said happily. Kathy grinned and turned to face him.

"Thanks again for this, Soda." She said. "I honestly don't know what I would have done if I had to go alone."

"Don't be silly." Soda insisted. "Remember, you ain't alone."

Kathy smiled and grabbed her bag from the floor. She kissed his cheek before getting out of the car and starting towards her steps. Just as Soda was about to start the car again, Kathy turned around and called out to him as she ran back over to the car.

"What else can I do for you, Ms. Rawlins?" he asked, tipping his invisible hat. Kathy laughed as she searched inside her bag, pulling out another copy of the sonogram picture in an envelope.

"Do you think you could give this to Lynn?" she asked, handing him the picture. "I mean, I just don't know when I'm gonna see her next."

"Sure thing." Soda said, smiling as he looked at the picture. "Hey, do you mind if I show Mel? She's been dying to know everything."

"Of course." Kathy said. "Say hi to them for me."

"Will do. I'll see you later." Soda called out as he back out of the driveway. Kathy waved to him as he beeped the horn and passed by. Making sure she had everything, Kathy made her way inside to show Scott the first glimpse of his little niece or nephew.

oOoOoOoOoOo

After yet another annoying shift, Mel was kicking back on her bed with her pillow over her eyes. Her shifts at the Dingo were really taking their toll on her. she loved hanging out there, but actually working there was a whole different story; but she kept telling herself that it was helping to bring in a little more money, and that kept her going.

It was only a little before five, and she wasn't on dinner duty that night, so Mel decided that it would be the perfect time to get a little well-deserved rest before the house would surely become madness once more.

But that hope was soon out the window when something rather large threw itself...or _him_self onto her bed, right beside her. Mel groaned in frustration and pulled the pillow over her eyes tighter as she began to aimlessly kick her little brother.

"Soda! Please, can I just have an hour?" she begged, not needing to look to see who it was. "Just one hour of peace...please?"

Soda sighed dramatically and sat up a little more.

"Well, I guess you can... I just thought you might wanna see a picture of the future baby greaser that's all." He said.

That was all it took for Mel to toss the pillow aside and jump up onto her knees to look over her twin's shoulder at the photo in his hand.

"Lemme see! Lemme see!" she cried out, grabbing for the envelope frantically. Soda laughed and jumped up out of her way, causing her to fall face first onto the bed.

"Calm down, will ya?" he asked, holding the picture protectively. "This is Lynn's copy. I just brought it by to show you before I take it over there."

"Fine, I'm calm...now show me!" Mel begged. Soda rolled his eyes before sitting down on the edge of the bed beside her.

"You ready?" Soda teased. Mel nodded her head excitedly, making her brother grin before taking it out of the envelope and showing her the picture. Mel couldn't believe her eyes as she looked at the picture of her best friend's baby. She could have sworn that she could feel herself tearing up a little bit.

"Wow." That was all she could say. Soda nodded his head in agreement.

"Yeah I know." He said.

"How was she today?" Mel wondered, handing the photo back to her brother. Soda shrugged as he slipped it back into his pocket.

"She was okay; nervous as hell when I picked her up, but one she got this...she was, well...excited." he said. Mel smiled and nodded her head as she sat deep in thought. After a minute, her smile weakened a little as she turned to face her brother.

"This is gonna be a good thing for her, right?" she asked. Soda smiled and kissed the top of her head before nodding.

"Yeah, I think it is." She assured her before getting off the bed and heading towards the bedroom door. "I'll be back a little later; I just gotta drop this over to Lynn."

"Sodie?" Mel asked. Soda spun around to face her once more. "What are you gonna do if he's there?"

"I don't know." Soda answered honestly, running his hand through his hair. Mel sighed deeply.

"Just..." she stopped, unsure of what she wanted to say. "...you know."

Soda nodded his head and gave her a small wave before heading out to the car once more.

oOoOoOoOoOo

When he arrived at the Matthew's place, Soda noticed that Lynn's car was in the driveway, giving him a good sign that she was there. he got out of the car and ran up the steps to the front door which was wide open; another good sign.

"Hello?" Soda called through the screen door. "Lynn? Anyone home?"

He waited a few moments before trying again, but still got no answer. Sighing to himself, Soda debated about whether or not he should just leave it out for her for when she got home. But he knew he couldn't risk something happening to it or for someone else to find it. Perhaps he would just come back tomorrow. As he turned to walk back to his car, a voice called out from inside the house.

"Soda?"

He turned around to find a confused looking Two-Bit leaning out of the kitchen doorway. It was the first that either one had seen the other in a month. It was strange that two good friends could feel so weird being in a room together. Soda felt torn. On one hand, he felt happy to see his buddy again after some time. But on the other, he had hurt Kathy, and his sister so badly, and he was still mad at him because of it.

"Hey, Two-Bit." Soda said. "How you been?"

"I've been better." Two-Bit shrugged. Soda nodded his head in understanding. "What about you, man?"

"Been alright, I guess." Soda said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the photo. "Hey, is your mom around? I gotta give her something."

"Nah, she's working late at the bar tonight. I took her car home for her." Two-Bit said. "You want me to give it to her when she gets home?"

"Uhh, no it's cool." Soda said. "I'll just catch her later."

"You sure, I mean. If it's important you can just leave whatever it is here. I can still be trusted, you know." He said, semi-jokingly. Soda ran his hand through his hair.

"I don't know about this one, Two-Bit." He said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Two-Bit wondered. Soda sighed and looked at the photo in his hand.

"It's from Kathy." He said. Two-Bit's eyes widened a little at the mention of her name. Soda turned to walk out the door but stopped suddenly. He wasn't sure about what he was about to do; hopefully, it wouldn't make things worse.

Taking a deep breath, Soda walked over and handed him the envelope before heading out the door. As he walked down the steps, he could hear the screen door slam behind him.

"What is it?" Two-Bit asked. Soda stopped as he reached his car and turned around to face the older teen.

"It's your kid." He said. And with that, Soda got in his car and drove home, leaving the dumbstruck Two-Bit out on his porch, staring at the photo in his hands.


	60. Flashback 1960

**A/N: Hello there. Well, this is coming out a lot earlier than I thought. This little flashback thing was originally going to be part of the next chapter with Ponyboy's race and the return of a character...but then I kept writing this and came to a few conclusions; A) this is long enough to be its own chapter. B) There already is a LOT happening in the next chapter. C) I really wanted to post something so yeahh...here it is!**

**Okay, so the main thing you will notice is where I got the inspiration for this chapter...please see the other A/N at the end for reasons why. All I'm going to say here is that I wish I myself came up with the concept and idea but, alas, I did not. I just added my own personal touches and thought it fitted quite well. Hope you enjoy and please! REVIEW! The more reviews, the less time you have to wait for the next one! xx**

_Five years earlier – June, 1960_

_It was the first night of summer vacation and the gang were thankful to get the hell out of school. Mr and Mrs Curtis thought it would be a good idea to gather all their kids; both their own and the additional, and take them to the carnival that had just rolled into town. Dallas, being the all too cool fourteen year old he was, declined the offer, but told them he would meet up with them if he had 'nothing better to do'._

_As soon as they arrived, the group went their separate ways; Darry met up with some of his pals and headed over to the arcade games...no doubt to show off a little. Mr. and Mrs. C took Ponyboy and Johnny around the grounds to have a look. _

_This left the twins, Steve and Two-Bit alone...which can never really be a good thing, can it? The group headed over to the rides, vowing to go on all of them by the time the night was done._

_After a couple of rides, Melody told the boys she had found someone she knew and would meet up with them later. The three took this as a reason to go play the arcades and stuff their faces with as much junk food as they could. Dally decided to make an appearance soon after, claiming he was bored so he decided to come and annoy the others._

_So far, Soda played about five rounds of the ring-toss, trying to win his sister a little stuffed pony toy. But alas, he was having no such luck. The other three were standing off to the side, laughing at their buddy's failed attempts. Soda sighed in frustration as he missed the last ring, glaring at the attendant who collected up the pile of notes from the counter._

"_Come on Soda, why don't you give it up already?" Steve wondered. Soda turned around to face his friends with a look of disbelief._

"_If I stop now, then he wins." He said._

"_Who, the carnie?" Two-Bit joked. Soda grinned and shook his head._

"_That damn horse." He laughed, placing another dollar on the counter. The other three shook their heads as they watched on. After another couple of rounds, Soda was finally victorious and claimed the toy for his sister._

_Dal then stupidly made the mistake of saying that 'any idiot could win at ring toss game'. So, after being badgered and annoyed for a while, he gave in and had a go himself, winning yet another toy for Melody._

_When they tired of the arcade, they wandered around with their arms full of cotton candy, popcorn and small prizes, before spotting Mel on the bumper cars._

_It was then that Two-Bit first saw her; crashing into Mel's bumper car. It wasn't exactly the most romantic first glance, but it sure stuck with him forever._

_She was wearing a green and white checked shirt and jeans, her long blonde hair was done up in a long braid that fell probably halfway down her back. How had he never seen this girl before? Surely he would remember someone as fine looking as she was._

_The sound of Soda's voice pulled Two-Bit out of his daydream. He shook his head and looked around, wondering if any of the others had noticed his little lapse. Apparently they hadn't. _

"_Mel!" _

_Mel looked up from her car and smiled brightly, waving to her boys._

"_Hi Soda! Hi guys!" she called out. Soda grinned and held up the toy he won._

"_Look, I won you a prize!" he said. Mel's smile widened at the sight of it._

"_Oh, thank you!" she said before being hit once again. Laughing hysterically, Mel shot off in her car and chased her blonde friend._

"_Hey Soda?" Two-Bit asked._

"_Yeah?"_

"_Who's this girl with Mel?" he asked. Soda (and the other guys) followed his gaze. _

"_Her name's Katherine Rawlins. She's in Mel's history class." Soda explained. Two-Bit looked at his friend incredulously._

"_She goes to our school?" He asked in disbelief. "How come I've never seen her?"_

"_Probably 'cause you never pay any actual attention in class?" Steve said, trying to take his cotton candy back off Dally. The older boy's response was to push him over. _

_Before no time at all, the ride was over. Both Mel and the blonde girl were laughing so much that they were struggling to get out of their cars._

_As Soda laughed at the scene with Dally, he couldn't help notice that Two-Bit was remaining unusually quiet. He turned to ask him what was up when he saw he was looking at something...or rather someone._

"_Oh no you don't." He said, pulling Two-Bit's attention back to them._

"_What?" he asked innocently. Soda shook his head at him._

"_Don't even think about it. Word is she's already taken." He said. Two-Bit's face looked at him in slight doubt before breaking out into a grin._

"_We'll see about that."_

_The two girls finally made their way over to the group, still laughing hysterically. Although, at that point, they weren't even sure about what they were laughing about._

"_You guys are still laughing?" Soda wondered, handing Mel her toy. The two girls started to quieten down a little as they nodded._

"_Oh yeah." Kathy said. _

"_Here, kid." Dal said nonchalantly, handing her the prize he won. Mel smiled brightly once more._

"_Well shucks. Ain't I lucky tonight?" she wondered. "Alrighty, introductions. Well, you know Sodapop."_

"_How are ya, Miss Katherine?" Soda asked politely. Kathy grinned._

"_I'm doin' alright, thanks Soda." She said. "And I already told you, just Kathy is fine."_

"_Alright." Soda laughed._

"_This here is Steve and Dallas." Mel said, stealing some of the cotton candy that Dally had. He rolled his eyes, but grinned anyway before offering it to Kathy. She grinned in response and helped herself. _

"_Thanks." She smiled. She looked over at Two-Bit, who still hadn't really said anything. She sent him a small smile just as Mel turned to introduce them._

"_And this is..." Mel started introducing Two-Bit but was cut off by a voice behind them. _

"_Kathy!"_

_The group turned around and saw some guy walking towards them. He was a greaser that was for sure. They soon recognised him as David Holloway; a member of one of the outfits around town._

"_There you are." He said, running over to her side. "You wanna ride the Ferris wheel?"_

"_Oh, uhh, Sure." Kathy said. "I'll see you guys later." She waved to the others before following David._

"_Wanna go?" Dal asked Mel. She smiled and nodded as she stole more of his cotton candy before running off to join Kathy. Dally simply shook his head and walked after her._

"_Well, I guess that leaves you and me, Stevie-boy!" Soda said happily. Steve grinned._

"_Race you there?" he asked. Soda's eyes widened as the two of them ran off towards the Ferris wheel._

_Melody ran a little longer til she spotted Kathy in front. She raced over to her friend and looped her arm with hers._

"_Two-Bit Matthews." She said. Kathy looked at her in confusion._

"_What?" she asked. Mel rolled her eyes and laughed._

"_That guy back there, the one I was about to introduce before I was so rudely interrupted." She said glaring at Holloway's back in front of them. "His name's Two-Bit."_

"_Honestly?" Kathy wondered incredulously as she watched Steve and Soda run ahead of them towards the ride._

"_No, it's Keith. But no one calls him that." Mel said, stealing more of Dal's cotton candy as he walked up next to her. _

"_So, you know him?" Kathy wondered, trying not to show too much interest._

"_Yeah, been best friends since...forever." Mel laughed._

"_It's true... I'm still trying to figure out which one is more annoying." Dal added with a smirk. Mel looked at him in shock before slapping him and jumping up onto his back._

"_Do you mind?" Dal asked. Mel grinned and shook her head._

"_Not at all." She laughed, wrapping her arms round his neck and resting her head on top of his._

"_It's not that easy to walk with your head like that." Dal complained. Mel rolled her eyes._

"_Quit complaining." She said._

"_Did you see him looking at me like that?" Kathy wondered. Mel and Dal nodded their heads._

"_Yeah, I saw." Mel said. "Maybe he likes you."_

_Kathy shook her head as they reached the Ferris wheel. Soda and Steve were arguing about who got their first as they got into one of the carriages. Dal threw Melody off his back and paid the guy before waling over and sitting in the next carriage. The brunette simply shook her head as she sat in beside him._

_Two-Bit stood off to the side as he watched each of his friends go round on the wheel. Soda and Steve were being yelled at by the operator for messing about too much, which they chose to ignore. _

_Mel was resting against Dal with his arm around her. By the looks of things, he was trying his best to annoy the hell out of her some way or another, but they were laughing all the same. _

_The next carriage he saw coming down had her in it. The beautiful blonde from earlier, Kathy, was sitting with that ape Holloway. Two-Bit couldn't help glaring at him as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She turned away from him, not paying attention to what he was saying, when she caught his eye and smiled._

_He honestly had no idea what made him do it. Perhaps it was the fact that she smiled at him again, or that it was just his stupidity. Either way, he wasn't thinking; he just...did it. As her carriage came past, without warning, and with about a moment to spare, Two-Bit ran and jumped up onto the carriage._

_The crowd below them all cried out in shock as they watched Two-Bit struggle for balance. Having heard the before climbing his way into the carriage, wedging himself between Holloway and Kathy._

"_Hey! What the hell...?"Holloway cried out, as Two-Bit shoved him aside for more room. Kathy looked at him in complete disbelief. She had no clue who the hell this guy was, but for some reason, she couldn't help smiling._

"_Hi." Two-Bit said to her, completely ignoring the outbursts from Holloway beside him. _

_Suddenly the ride came to a halt thanks to the operator. The others on the ride now took this chance to have a good look at what was going on._

"_You can't do that Two-Bit!" the operator called out. Two-Bit held up a finger, telling her to wait a moment before leaning over her and looking down below._

"_Keep your shirt on, I'll pay you when I get down, Frankie." He called out. He then turned his attention back to the beautiful blonde beside him._

"_I'm Two-Bit Matthews." He said, extending his hand._

"_So?" Kathy laughed, still unsure about whether to be flattered or mortified. Two-Bit shrugged his shoulders._

"_So, it's really nice to meet you." Two-Bit said. Holloway was getting mighty pissed off after that. He pushed Two-Bit's hand aside and looked at his date._

"_Kathy, what the hell...?" He wondered. Kathy couldn't help but laugh a little as she shrugged her shoulders in response._

"_I don't know, ask Two-Bit Matthews." She said._

"_Two-Bit you moron, what the hell are you doing?" Steve called out._

"_I would really like to take you out." Two-Bit said, still ignoring the outbursts. Kathy's eyes widened beyond belief. She didn't even know this guy! Yet here he was, jumping onto the Ferris wheel to ask her out on a date. She was still undecided about how she should feel about all this._

"_You can't sit more than two people in a chair, Two-Bit." Frankie, the operator called out, hoping to god that Two-Bit would get the hint and get off next chance he got. Two-Bit sighed dramatically, causing Kathy to giggle a little bit._

"_Okay, Frankie, fine." He said. Two-Bit bowed to Kathy and mockingly to Holloway before standing to his feet and jumping up and hanging on the bar above them. _

_Cries and screams were heard all around, particularly from Kathy and the carriage below. His friends looked on frightfully as they watched the scene unfold._

"_Get down, Two-Bit, you idiot! You're gonna kill yourself!" Melody cried out, clutching onto Dal's arm in fear._

"_Seriously, Two-Bit, cut it out, man." Soda yelled out. _

"_Now, will you go out with me?" Two-Bit asked, completely oblivious to the cries of his friends. Both Kathy and Holloway looked at him in complete and utter disbelief._

"_What?" Kathy wondered. "No."_

"_No?"_

"_Hey asshole, she just told you..."_

"_Why not?" Two-Bit wondered._

"_I don't even know you!" Kathy exclaimed. Two-Bit scoffed._

"_There'll be plenty of time for that baby. So what do you say?" _

"_Uhh...I don't think so." Kathy said unsurely, wondering if she would regret saying that or not. Once again, Two-Bit sighed and shrugged as best as he could._

"_Well, you leave me no other choice then." Two-Bit said cryptically. Kathy looked at him in confusion. Before she could ask him what he meant, Two-Bit let one on his hands 'slip' from the bar, causing the others to scream even more._

"_God damn it you ass, cut it out!" Dal called out. "This is stupid, even for you!"_

"_Two-Bit, stop fooling around!" Soda yelled from above. Dal was right; this went far beyond his usual standard of stupidity._

"_Are you crazy or something?" Kathy wondered._

"_Perhaps."_

"_Two-Bit, grab the bar!"_

"_What the hell?"_

"_I'm gonna ask you one more time." Two-Bit said. "Will you...or will you not go out with me?"_

_Kathy was torn. She had no idea why this guy was so crazy to go out with her. They didn't even know each other. Sure, she'd seen him at school and stuff, but they'd never really met before. Still, she couldn't deny the fact that he was kinda cute...and much more interesting and nicer than Holloway was..._

"_God damn, my hand's slipping." Two-Bit said suddenly._

"_Then grab the bar, you idiot." Mel called out. Two-Bit looked down and smirked, shaking his head at his best friend before looking at Kathy again._

"_Not until she agrees." He called out, sending, Kathy a wink._

"_Ah, go on out with him, honey!" Soda yelled out._

"_Yeah, come on Kathy!"_

"_Go out with him!"_

_Kathy hid her face in her hands out of embarrassment. People from all over were calling out to her, telling her to give this guy a chance._

"_Okay, okay, fine! I'll go out with you!" she said._

"_What?" Holloway shouted. _

"_Nah honey, don't be doing me any favours." Two-Bit said. Kathy couldn't help laughing._

"_No! I want to." She laughed. Holloway looked at her as if she was crazy._

"_You can't be serious!" he shouted. "You actually wanna go out with this wiseass?"_

"_Hey asshole, she just told you..." Two-Bit said, reiterating what Holloway had said only minutes before. "So you wanna go out with me?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Say it again."_

"_I want to go out with you."_

"_Louder."_

"_I wanna go out with you!" Kathy cried out, before shielding her face once more._

"_All right, all right! We'll go out." Two-Bit laughed. Kathy looked at him in complete disbelief, but couldn't wipe the smile from her face._

"_So are you gonna sit down here or you just gonna hang all night?" she wondered. Two-Bit grinned before grabbing on to the bar once more and carefully climbing back into the carriage, shoving a very annoyed Holloway out of the way._

_Cheers came from left and right, mainly from their friends as Frankie started the ride back up again._

"_Are you crazy or something?" Kathy wondered again._

"_Perhaps. I might be crazy for you." Two-Bit said._

"_You don't even know me." Kathy said, shaking her head both in disbelief and amusement. Two-Bit shrugged once more._

"_So?"_

"_Well, since you are taking me out and all, perhaps proper introductions are in order." Kathy said. Two-Bit grinned and stuck out his hand to her once more._

"_Howdy ma'am, I'm Two-Bit Matthews."_

"_Katherine Rawlins." She said shaking his hand. "But call me Kathy."_

"_Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Kathy."Two-Bit said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders._

"_Likewise."_

_After the ride was over, the six teens met up at the gate. Melody wanted to scream at Two-Bit for that stupid stunt he pulled, but knew that something good came out of it, so she settled for a slap across the back of the head._

_As they wandered around a bit more, they decided it was time to meet up with the others and Mr and Mrs Curtis. Meeting up at the front, the two younger boys told the others about what rides they went on and whatever else they did, Melody had managed to convince Dally to give her a piggyback while she explained to her parents about the elaborate stunt that her best friend pulled. Kathy and Two-Bit hung around at the back of the group, with Two-Bit offering to wait with Kathy until her older brother could pick her up._

"_Why do I have a feeling that knowing you is the start of some crazy adventure?" Kathy asked as they left the carnival. Two-Bit simply grinned and wrapped his arm around her shoulders once more, pulling her close._

"_Because baby, it probably is."_

_-End Flashback-_

He wasn't joking about it being a crazy adventure. After finding out more about her from Mel and the others, Two-Bit took her to see BUtterfield 8, knowing that her all time favourite actress was Elizabeth Taylor. Although, they were forced to go see it again; having not seen much of the actual movie the first time around. From then on, the two were together. He helped her to come out of her shell a lot more, while she put up with his crazy antics and even his habit of flirting with other girls, even though she knew that it never really meant anything.

Kathy wiped the stray tears from her eye as she tried not to think about the past; she honestly thought that the last five years had really meant something to them both. But the fact that she was alone, reminiscing about these things, only 5 months before their child was to be born, didn't assure her very much.

Shaking her head of the thoughts, Kathy got changed and got into bed. Tomorrow was the day of Ponyboy's big race, and she had promised him that she would be there bright and early to head to the track with them. She laughed to herself as she remembered when he asked her.

"_Kathy, did I remind you about the big race?"_

"_Why no Pony. Why don't you remind me about the big race?"_

"_It's tomorrow. You still gonna be there?"_

"_Well, I don't know... I'll have to check my calendar...Abso-freaking-lutely! Of course I'll be there kiddo!"_

"_Told you Ponyboy!" Mel said. "We're camping out. We're sleeping there the night before."_

Kathy couldn't help but laugh once again at the thought of his reactions, saying that being there at the hose early would suffice. Poor kid, he should be used to those kind of reactions from the lot of them...it's who they all were; crazy.

As she hopped into bed, Kathy rubbed her stomach absentmindedly. As she tried to fall asleep, she couldn't stop her mind from wandering from the sweet young boy who was running tomorrow to the guy in the Mickey Mouse shirt who held her heart completely.

Sighing to herself, Kathy played with the bracelet on her wrist; her Christmas gift last year from him as she couldn't lie to herself any longer;

Even though she should hate him, she knew she couldn't. Deep down she knew that she was still madly in love with that young boy who was hanging from the bars on the Ferris wheel just to ask her out on a date.

**A/N2: So...yes, it's the Notebook. I've always loved this scene where Noah asks Allie out at the Carnival...and immediately thought of Two-Bit... I mean, it is something he would do, right? So I did get the concept from the Notebook but I did change I around a little so it would suit more...please don't hate me because of it or say I'm copying it...i just love the idea!**

**And yes, there are a couple of quotes very much inspired by REMEMBER ME [both movies are big inspirations for me with my stories]**

**So, yeah...hope you liked it and please remember to r&r! xx**


	61. Rise and Return

**A/N: Hello there. I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, but Year 12 is really taking over my life at the moment and just won't let me have a spare few minutes with the characters, so I apologize. **

**Well, the end is almost near. Don't fret…it's not the end of the story, but the end of my story before the main event. Yep, this is the second last chapter before the events in the book happen. The next two chapters have a lot of stuff, some really important and some is just fun. This one has a lot of little scenes that are put together instead of running constantly, but I hope there's a happy medium and I hope you all like it.**

**Please, if you have any ideas or suggestions about how you think the book events should go, feel free to send me a message, either in a review or a PM.**

**So, on with the story! **

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

Like a regular day in the Curtis household, the house was filled. People were scattered around the house, preparing for that afternoon, like usual. But today wasn't just an ordinary day.

It was the day of the big race. The day had finally arrived and Pony was trying to calm himself down. Whether it was just the excitement of the race, or the nerves that had started settling in, he was trying to keep himself occupied.

Johnny and Kathy were sitting in the living room, watching the younger boy with slight interest. Ponyboy was pacing back and forth; walking up to the front door then turning around and walking to the kitchen doorway before repeating the process again…and again…and again.

Johnny looked at Kathy, silently asking her if she knew what he was doing. But the blonde simply shrugged her shoulders and rubbed her stomach absentmindedly. She had a habit of doing that lately, especially after Lynn told her that she might be able to feel the baby kicking soon. But so far, nothing yet…and it was starting to drive her mad.

"Hey Ponyboy. Why don't you stop, huh?" Johnny wondered. Ponyboy shook his head as he continued to move back and forth.

"Can't. I gotta keep moving. It keeps my mind clear." He said. Johnny shook his head and went back to watching the television. Ponyboy kept his eyes on the ground as he kept moving. Which was probably not a good idea considering that can sometimes lead to running into things…or people.

"Whoa!" said a voice from the doorway. Pony stumbled a little but two hands held his shoulders before he could fall. He looked up and found himself face to face with a pair of big brown eyes.

"Thanks Angie." He said gratefully. The blonde nodded her head and let him go. As soon as she did, Ponyboy resumed pacing, earning a groan from the others.

"I thought he'd stop that." Kathy muttered.

"What's he doin' anyway?" Curly wondered, entering the doorway after his sister.

"Trying to clear his mind, apparently." Kathy said, rolling her eyes. "God damn it, kid…you're gonna wear yourself down before the race even starts!"

The two Shepard kids looked at each other before shaking their heads, not even bothering to try and figure it out. That was usually the case with the happenings of this household.

"Mel?" Angela called out.

"Kitchen!"

The blonde pushed her way past her brother and side-stepped the pacing teen, before running into the kitchen to join her friend. When she arrived, she found Soda sitting on the countertop and swinging a set of keys in his hand, watching Mel do the dishes.

"What are you doing?" Angela asked, hopping up beside Soda. Mel stopped and turned to face her with an incredulous look on her face.

"Can't you tell, honey? I'm practicing for a play." She said, her words dripping with sarcasm. Angela rolled her eyes at her friend.

"_That_ was unnecessary." She said. Mel simply grinned and returned to the plate she was cleaning.

"What's unnecessary?" Kathy wondered, walking into the kitchen.

"Mel's sarcasm." Soda supplied. Kathy raised an eyebrow, but shrugged it off and stood beside him, leaning against the counter.

"Let me rephrase my question… why are you washing dishes?" Angie asked.

"Cause it has to be done and I'm killing time before we leave." Mel said, finishing up. Angela nodded her head. Mel then stopped suddenly and turned to look at her friend.

"What?" Angela wondered.

"You're wearing a dress." Mel stated. Indeed she was; Angela, whose daily attire usually consisted of a shirt and jeans, was wearing a baby blue summer dress. Mel cocked her eyebrow in confusion.

"So are you." She noted, nodding towards Mel's black and white polka dotted dress.

"I do occasionally…you on the other hand, never wear dresses." She said. Angela simply shrugged her shoulders.

"So…I just decided that I wanna wear one. Is that such a crime?" She wondered. Mel shrugged her shoulders and decided to let the subject drop. Angela simply smirked and turned to Soda, who was still swinging the keys on his finger, watching the scene with interest.

"Well, I think you look lovely, Miss Angela." He smiled. Angela smiled in thanks before noticing the keys in his hand.

"So tell me; how did you convince Darry to leave the truck this morning?" she asked. "I noticed your car gone."

"I took his keys." Soda said simply. Angela's eyes widened beyond belief. Taking Darry's keys was like…telling Tim Shepard to join the police force.

"How the hell did you manage that?" she wondered. Soda shrugged.

"Easy…I took them from his jeans pocket last night. We can't exactly have everyone in one car. Steve's is in the shop and we don't have Two…" he stopped as he caught a glimpse of Kathy's sad expression. "…we can't fit all of us in one car, it just wouldn't work. So he's taken ours and he'll just meet us there I guess."

"So, is everyone almost ready?" Mel asked Kathy. The blonde snapped out of her daze and shrugged her shoulders.

"Your brother was about to pace a hole in the floor before Curly told him to quit it, so he's now outside. I was bored so I pulled my lazy ass off the couch and came in here, and Steve's still in the bathroom doing his hair." Kathy said.

"He's still in there?" Mel wondered. Kathy nodded. The former groaned in frustration before stalking out of the kitchen. The other three listened carefully as they heard the sounds of someone yelling out.

"OUCH! HEY, WHAT? MEL!" Steve screamed as Mel pushed him out of the bathroom.

"Come on guys, you know how important today is." Mel said, shoving him towards the living room. Steve glared at her and stuck his tongue out. She shook her head and headed back into the kitchen.

"I don't know whose worse, Soda or Steve." She said.

"HEY!" They both cried out as Steve came into the kitchen. The three girls laughed at their reactions.

"It's true." Angela said. Kathy nodded her head.

"Yeah. You guys take longer than me! That's saying something because I'm in there a lot…especially thanks to this." She said, looking down at her growing baby bump.

"Hey!" Mel cried out. "My little niece or nephew is not a 'this'." She said.

"Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't." Kathy explained. "When it has me hunched over a toilet first thing in the morning, however, it's a 'this'."

"Okay, fine." Mel said, sighing in defeat. "But just know that this little greaser is gonna know that their mama called them a 'this'."

Before she had a chance to reply, Kathy stopped suddenly. Groaning to herself, she pushed herself off the counter and ran as fast as she could to the bathroom. The four in the kitchen grimaced as they heard the 'sweet sounds of morning sickness'. Angela sighed and jumped down off the counter.

"_And_ that's my cue to leave." She said. "I'm gonna go see if I can get the others to hurry up."

"Tell them we're leaving in ten minutes, regardless of them being ready or not." Mel said as she looked at the clock.

Angela nodded and headed into the living room. Johnny and Curly were the only two in the room. As she scanned the room for the youngest, the two boys pointed out to the front porch. She nodded once and headed outside.

She looked out through the screen door and smiled to herself before walking out on to the porch and standing next to Ponyboy.

"Nice to see you didn't put a hole in the floor." She laughed. Pony grinned weakly and nodded as he puffed away on his cigarette.

"So, you doin' okay?" Angie asked. The younger boy nodded his head as he took a drag of his cigarette.

"Yeah, just nervous, you know?" he said, taking another drag. Angie rolled her eyes and snatched the stick out of his hand.

"You sister would kill us both if she saw you smoking this before the race." She said. Ponyboy's eyes widened as he tried to grab it out of her hand.

"Come on, Ang. It calms me down." Pony pleaded. But the blonde simply shook her head.

"No can do, buddy. I value my life far too much." She said, throwing it into the garden. "Besides, you're the one who's always telling us that you gotta quit for track."

"I will…one day." Pony mumbled. Angie smiled and rubbed his shoulder reassuringly. The young greaser smiled up at his friend in thanks.

"Alright you lot, out in the truck, now!" Melody called out. The others inside all filed out and headed towards the old truck that was parked out the front. Soda stood looking at the truck, then back at the group, then at the truck again.

"Okay, Curly, you're in the front with me…" he started.

"How come?" the young Shepard wondered.

"Because we don't trust your dumb ass in the back of the truck, idiot!" Angela retorted. Curly flipped his sister off before walking to the front of the truck.

"And…Johnny, wanna ride up front?" Soda wondered. Johnny nodded his head silently and followed suit to the front of the truck.

"Alright, the rest of you hoods, in the back." Soda said. One by one, the others piled into the back; first Pony, then Melody, followed by Angela. Kathy was about to climb up into the truck when a hand stopped her. She turned to see both Soda and Steve standing in front of her.

"What?" she asked.

"What are you doing?" Soda wondered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I was getting into the truck." Kathy said, somewhat unsurely.

"Not by yourself you're not." Steve said, mimicking his actions. Kathy looked at them both before rolling her eyes.

"Guys, I'm not completely useless yet. Give me at least a couple more months before that." She said. Steve and Soda looked at each other and silently agreed. Kathy shook her head and was about to climb up when suddenly, she let out a small cry as she felt herself being lifted up off her feet. The others laughed as the two boys helped her into the bed of the truck.

"You guys suck." Kathy pouted, crossing her arms as she sat with her back against the cab of the truck. The others simply laughed once again before Steve jumped in the back and Soda got in and started the truck.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The trip to the track wasn't too far, but it was still a fair while from the house. On the way, the group somehow got onto the subject about who their Hollywood counterparts would be. It was a strange topic, and nobody was quite sure as to how they came to it, but they didn't mind in the slightest. So far, they had come to the conclusion that Mel was Natalie Wood, Kathy was Elizabeth Taylor to her delight, and everyone had agreed that Dallas was definitely a Brando.

"It's weird, but I can totally see Dally standing outside your window screaming out your name." Pony laughed. Mel smiled to herself, remembering all the times that he _actually _did.

"Angie, I think you're more of a Grace Kelly." Kathy said. Melody nodded her head in agreement. The younger Shepard looked at them as if they were crazy.

"What? No way." She said, dismissing the idea.

"It's true…if not better than Grace Kelly." Mel said. Angela rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"You guys are so full of shit." She said.

"Okay, so what about me?" Ponyboy wondered. The others in the back all looked at each other, smiling. They knew they all had the same idea.

"Paul Newman." They said together. Even the guys in the front called it out. Ponyboy looked away as his ears turned red, causing the others to laugh a little.

"Okay, Soda's turn." Pony said, desperate to pull the attention away from him. Soda's laugh was heard from all the way in the front.

"Go easy on me, will ya?" he said. The others laughed and thought long and hard about who he could be.

"Jimmy Stewart?"

"Nahh."

"Bogart?"

"No way."

"I got it!" Steve said suddenly. Everyone's eyes were on him, waiting for his response. Steve simply sat there grinning, obviously pleased with his response. Sighing in frustration, Mel leaned over and slapped the back of his head.

"Ouch!"

"You gonna tell us or what?" Kathy wondered.

"The rebel without a cause." He said. "James Dean."

Angela's eyes widened for a split second before she was able to regain her calm once more. Luckily for her nobody had noticed her reaction. They simply smiled and agreed with Steve's choice, talking amongst themselves about how Soda did in fact compare to the late movie star. It was then that Mel thought of something.

James Dean…Angela…own…Soda….Oh my god…

_"...Oh my god."_

"What?"

_"How have I not noticed it before? It's him isn't it?" _

_"What?"_

_"Soda...he's your James Dean…You're in love with him."_

It was all coming back to her now. Angela had feelings for Soda! She must have. Was that what she meant that day when she asked if Mel remembered anything after that night? Her eyes widened as she looked over at Angela. The blonde was keeping to herself, although it looked as though she was listening to a something Steve was talking about.

Suddenly, Kathy cried out, causing Mel to snap out of her thoughts and turn to her. Kathy's eyes were wide as she held her hands on her stomach, as if waiting for something.

"What happened?" Angela asked.

"I…I think the baby just kicked." Kathy said quietly. The others all turned to look at her in shock. They had been waiting for it for a while now, but they still weren't prepared for when it actually happened.

The blonde pressed her hand to her stomach again and waited patiently. Every eye was on her, even Soda who was divvying up his attention between the road and the rearview mirror.

"There! It did it again!" she squealed happily. She looked to her left and smiled at Ponyboy. She looked at her stomach, then back at him, silently asking him whether or not he wanted to meet the baby. His eyes widened.

"Really?" he asked. Kathy grinned and nodded. She took his hand and placed it where hers was only moments before. The young greaser waited for a few moments before he felt the little nudge.

"Oh wow." He said, still in complete awe of what just happened. Kathy smiled.

"I think they're saying good luck." She told the boy. Pony grinned at her.

"So, does that make it all the more real?" Angie wondered. Kathy laughed and nodded.

"Well, the ever growing stomach, morning sickness and all that is real enough…but, yeah...it does." She said, smiling down at her stomach.

oOoOoOoOoOo

When the gang arrived at the track, there was already a big crowd gathered. Ponyboy's eyes widened at the thought of all these people watching him run, but he tried to shake the thought away. Someone placed an arm around his shoulder comfortingly. He turned his head and saw his sister there.

"You'll be fine." She said, kissing the top of his head. Pony nodded and smiled in thanks. Soda, Johnny and Curly jumped out of the front seat and helped the others get out of the back.

"Okay, let's go find a spot." Soda said.

"I gotta go sign in and start warming up." Pony said. The others wished him luck and he smiled and waved in thanks before heading over to the sign-in table.

The group wandered around in search of the best place to sit. A few socy-looking people turned their noses up at them as they walked past, but they just didn't pay any attention to them. A couple looked as Kathy and whispered to another. She looked down at the ground, avoiding their gaze. Normally, she wouldn't have cared if they said anything about her…but this was different. She looked up when she felt an arm go around her shoulder, and saw Steve flipping off the couple whispering about her. Smiling to herself, they continued on their way.

Luckily, they found a spot right in front on the grass with a perfect view of the field; so when the time came, they would be able to jump up and get a good look at the race. While the others sat down, Mel scanned the crowds, looking for any sign of Darry. She knew that he would be there. She didn't see her brother, but was generally amazed at who she did see.

"Tim?" she questioned, seeing the hood walking over to them. Hearing the name, the others turned, and sure enough, Tim Shepard was there.

"What are you doing here?" Angela wondered. Tim shrugged and leaned casually against the fence.

"Had nothing better to do." He said. The others shared a knowing glance and dropped the subject.

oOoOoOoOoOo

He wandered around through the group of people, trying to fit a place to sit. Eventually, he found a spot far enough that he wasn't near anyone, but he could still see the track. Glancing around, he spotted them. Almost everyone was there, even the Shepards. He felt a pang of both guilt and sadness as he watched them, knowing that somehow, things had to change again.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The race was about to begin. The competitors were almost finished warming up and were starting to take their places. Time was running out. Mel sighed to herself as she scanned the crowds around her once again. He still wasn't there.

"Don't worry," Soda said, resting a comforting am across her shoulder. "He'll be here."

"He better." Mel said.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Competitor's ready!"

"Am I late?" Lynn said, sitting down beside Kathy. The others looked at her in surprise. They had told her about the race, but weren't sure that she would be able to make it because of work.

"What are you doing here?" Soda asked. "We thought you were working."

"I've got an hour for lunch." The elder woman explained. "So I haven't missed anything?"

"They're starting now." Mel said.

They watched as all the competitors lined up, awaiting the gunshot. There was a look of intense concentration and focus on Pony's face as he took his mark, eagerly awaiting the chance to put all that hard work and training to use.

The shot rang out and the boys started running. Every single one of the gang were up on their feet, cheering and crying out as they watched the youngest member of their gang compete.

"Come on Pony!"

"Run, Kid!"

"You can do it!"

"Kick that kid's ass!"

He was running as fast as he could. Never before had he ever felt that his own two legs could move the way they were…but it still wasn't enough. There were two or three Soc competitors in front of him. Ponyboy could hear the sounds of the crowd cheering and shouting out for the runners. So many people's voices combining, creating a muffled yelling sound…but it wasn't hard to hear them.

He could hear the sounds of the gang; his family and his buddies yelling out at him. The words of encouragement that they had given him over the passing weeks and that morning played over and over in his head; Mel, Soda, Kathy, Johnny…even Steve had wished him luck. They had helped him train…and maybe, just maybe…they could help him win that race.

"COME ON PONYBOY!"

Mel was hanging onto the gate nervously, watching her little brother with baited breath. She couldn't yell out anymore, the nerves were getting too much. But then again, she couldn't even imagine how her brother was feeling at that moment. He had spent so long and work so hard for this…it would kill him if it didn't work out. All of a sudden, an all too familiar voice rang out from the crowd.

"Come on kid!"

She knew that voice. She didn't need to see his face to know; nearly 18 years of hearing his cracks and remarks does that to a person. But it couldn't be…could it?

Slowly, and somehow against her better judgment, she turned around to find out. It was him. Standing there, about a half a mile away, screaming out in support was Two-Bit. Seeing him there cheering for her little brother like many times before, despite everything that had happened between them all, made her feel torn.

On one hand, she wondered how he could show his face here after everything that had happened, and after not bothering to be seen for almost two months. She simply wanted to go over there and ask what the hell he was thinking turning up there. She wanted to so badly…but she knew she couldn't.

Seeing him there, with a smile on his face, cheering out like a madman, despite all that, made her push those angry thoughts aside. It made her happy to see that despite him not talking to anyone else, he still kept his promise; he still showed up to support him…something even their older brother couldn't do.

"GO! GO! GO! GO!"

Melody turned around at the sound of Soda's voice to watch the race once more. In the few moments she had turned away, two of the competitors had fallen behind a little, putting her brother in the lead along with one other kid.

They were almost there; just a little further to go. The crowd seemed to be getting louder and louder. However, as the two drew closer to the finish line, it was if time stood still. All was still, silent, frozen in time.

Then it happened. Energy, determination…whatever it was that caused it was a blessing. The crowd watched in awe as Ponyboy pushed himself forward, sending him into the lead as they both crossed the finish line.

It was over. He did it. Ponyboy had won.

They were all up on their feet, cheering louder than ever before. High-fives, fist pumps, and hugs were exchanged in celebration. Mel felt herself being picked up off the ground and spun around. She laughed loudly until her brother got a little dizzy and put her back down on the ground.

As the crowd started to settle down, the gang watched proudly as Pony was awarded his first place medal. After being congratulated and dismissed, he made his way over to the gang. But as soon as he got a good look at them, he broke out into a grin and started running towards them.

Mel was the first one he reached; wrapping his arms around her in a hug. She laughed and squeezed him tight before letting him go.

"Oh baby, you were incredible!" she said, smiling proudly at both him and the medal around his neck. The others nodded their heads in agreement.

"It was like you were Superman or something." Johnny said.

"I don't know how it happened," Pony said. "I can't remember running that fast ever."

They laughed as Pony's ears got red, not used to that amount of attention. Everyone congratulated him on the win with high-fives, hugs and even a headlock. As he finally managed to get out of Soda's grip, Pony noticed someone watching them just a little way ahead.

Two-Bit smiled sadly at the scene. Hell, even his mother was there. He wished he could be a part of it. But he couldn't…not yet. He chuckled quietly to himself as he watched Soda pull his little brother into a head lock, causing Pony to fight him for freedom. It was only when he managed to be freed that he saw him there. He sent him a small smile and gave him a thumbs up before walking away, getting lost in the crowd.

Ponyboy saw Two-Bit give him a thumbs up, showing that he'd seen the race. Pony smiled in thanks and watched as he disappeared into the crowd. A feeling of uneasiness washed over him as his buddy walked away. It wasn't how it was supposed to be. He was supposed to be there with them, celebrating and making everything normal. How he wished that the stupid fight between his sister and her best friend…Kathy and the father of her child, had never happened.

But he was pulled out of his thoughts all of a sudden when he felt himself being lifted up off the ground. He looked down and saw that Soda and, to his surprise, Steve had lifted him off the ground in celebration, causing the others to laugh.

Ponyboy smiled at the two, before he had a thought. He looked around amongst the group; looking for a particular person. But his siblings noticed this and shared a sad look. Mel looked up at her brother and sent him a sad smile, shaking her head sadly. Pony, nodded his head once, determined to hide his disappointment.

"Okay!" Kathy announced, getting everyone's attention. "I believe this calls for a celebration! Who's up for hot fudge sundaes at Dairy Queen?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Sure."

"I'd love to, but I gotta get back to work." Lynn said sadly. Pony nodded in understanding, thanking her for coming out in the first place. Lynn spoke to Kathy for a moment and kissed her cheek. She said goodbye to the others and hugged Ponyboy, congratulating him again on his win and headed back to work.

"Alright, let's go!"

oOoOoOoOoOo

After spending the afternoon at Dairy Queen, having fun…which eventually led into a food fight, the group parted ways. Tim and Curly went to hunt some action at Bucks, and Steve was heading to the Game with Evie. He tried to convince Soda to join them, but he said no, much to Steve's disappointment. Steve left the house after making Soda promise that he would try and get out to look for hubcaps later that night.

Angela was spending the night at Kathy's place, so the two decided to stay at the Curtis place for a while longer. After seeing the twins deep in conversation, the girls new that the two needed to talk with Darry when he got home, so they came up with an idea.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I honestly don't want to be stuck around here all night." Kathy said.

"You should be resting." Soda said from his spot at the table. Kathy rolled her eyes and nudged him.

"I've got months of resting ahead…why can't you people let me have fun while I can?" she said. Soda merely grinned.

"Let's go to the movies." She said. At the sound of an outing to the moviehouse, Pony's ears picked up. Kathy grinned and winked subtly at Angela. The younger blonde smiled and nodded.

"I'm in." she said. "How 'bout it boys?"

"Sure, whatd'ya say Johnnycakes?" Pony asked. Johnny shrugged and nodded. Angela grinned.

"Well, ain't we lucky? Two cute guys accompanying us to the movies." She said, causing the others to laugh.

"You and Mel coming, Soda?" Pony asked. Soda smiled but shook his head.

"Not this time Pony, but you guys have fun." He said. "In fact, here, take the truck."

Pony nodded his head and caught the keys, handing them to Angela before he went to grab his jacket. When the four were ready, they waved two the two at the table and left the house. On his way out though, he walked passed Darry's room, stopping in the doorway. Ponyboy sighed quietly and walked in the room. Slipping it off from around his neck, he put his medal on the middle of his bed and walked out the door, following his friends.

Unknown to him, his older siblings had witnessed the entire scene. Mel sighed sadly and rested her head against her brother's shoulder, silently wondering what to do to fix their little brother's broken heart.

oOoOoOoOoOo

When Darry arrived home that evening, the first thing that surprised him was the fact that his truck was gone. Parking the car in the twin's usual spot, he got out and made his way towards the door. He could see the television on in the living room, meaning that someone was home. Although, it occurred to him that the house was silent. His first thought was that everyone was in bed and forgot to turn the TV set off, but quickly dismissed the thought when he saw his brother and sister sitting on the couch.

At the sound of the door opening, Soda and Melody looked up as their older brother came inside the house, once again looking worn-out and tired. Without so much as a word, the twins went back to what they were doing; Soda watching some kind of show on the TV and Mel back to her book. Darry looked around the practically deserted living room.

"Where is everyone?" he asked tiredly.

"At the movies." Soda said, not looking away from the screen. "Thought Ponyboy deserved a congratulatory night out."

"A Congratulatory…" Darry wondered quizzically. "Huh?"

"Don't you remember what today was Darry?" Soda wondered. If he was getting more annoyed, which he was, he sure wasn't showing it.

"Today?" Darry asked, thinking long and hard about it. Mel slammed the cover of her book shut, causing the two to jump at the sudden sound.

"You promised him." She said, trying to keep her cool. Soda sent her a sideward glance, telling her to stay calm, but deep down he knew there was no stopping her. "You of all people knew how important today was to him."

"What are you…?" Darry faltered slightly when it hit him. Both the twins looked at him silently; the novel and television set left abandoned.

"The race." Darry said quietly.

"Yeah, the race." Mel said sarcastically. "How could you do it?"

"Do what?" Darry wondered. "I had to work."

"You couldn't get out of it?" Soda wondered. "Not even for an hour just to see the race then leave again. That's what Lynn did."

"I couldn't. It was an extra shift and I did it for the money, we needed it." Darry insisted. "I'll apologize to him, he'll understand."

"That's what you're going to say?" Mel asked incredulously. "_He'll understand?_"

"Darry, the kid's fifteen. This meant everything to him." Soda said. "You told him you would be there."

"There'll be more track races." Darry said, waving them off. Melody sighed angrily and got up off the couch. Her two brothers watched her as she headed to Darry's room and came back a moment later. She walked over to him and grabbed his hand. She put something in his palm before walking away. She didn't go anywhere in particular, just to the next wall…anywhere that she could yell at her brother without wanting to strangle him.

Darry looked at them both confused before looking at what she had placed in his hand. It was Pony's medal.

"He won?" Darry asked.

"No, he stole it." Mel said. "Of course he won, Darry. Don't be a dumbass."

"But then you would have known that if you were there. We went out for ice cream too…all of us, it was great." Soda said.

"Yeah, you know we would have got you one too but then again, it would have melted by the time you got home." Mel added.

"The look on his face Darry…" Soda said. "I…I haven't seen him like that in a long time. He was so sad that you weren't there."

"I'm sorry, guys. I just…"

"No!" Mel shouted, on the verge of tears. "It's not us that you have to apologize to…its Ponyboy. We were there. We both took the day off work and were there on the sidelines cheering like crazy as he ran."

"Darry he ran faster than I have ever seen him." Soda admitted. Darry remained silent, still holding the medal. Mel took this opportunity to continue.

"We were there…all of us. Me, Soda, Johnny and Steve, Angela and Kathy… Lynn came during her lunch break; the only hour all day she had to herself to come watch and support him. Tim and Curly came…for Christ sakes….even Two-Bit was there!" Mel cried out.

"Wait…Two-Bit came?" Soda asked. Mel sighed and nodded.

"Yeah. Two-Bit, who hasn't been around or spoken to any of us in nearly two months, was still there to cheer him on. And you…his own brother, couldn't even be bothered trying to make it. What did you so, you picked up another shift at work, coming up exhausted and wearing yourself down." She said, not bothering to hide her sadness anymore.

"Melody, I…"

"I can't." she said, pushing her way past him. "I'm sorry, I just can't be in the same room as you right now."

Mel said goodnight to her twin brother, who passed her book to her, before walking off to her room, shutting the door behind her. Darry looked at the door for a moment before turning to Soda. The younger Curtis got up off the couch and started towards the kitchen.

"Soda…"

"I'm going to meet up with Steve." He said, ignoring what was said. He went to the kitchen and grabbed his jacket before returning to the living room. "Kathy and Ang will bring the boys back later. I told them to be quiet so they don't disturb you Dar…I know you had a tough day at work."

And with that, Soda headed towards the door. Just as he was about to leave he stopped at the door. For a moment, Darry thought he was going to say something. But Soda remained silent as he continued out the door into the night.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Mel sat on her windowsill silently with her coffee mug in one hand, and her cigarette in the other as she stared blankly out into the night. Darry had retired into his room ever since Soda left earlier, not that she cared. She was thankful that he wasn't up and about when Kathy and Angela brought the boys back earlier. Mel knew that Ponyboy wouldn't have caused a scene of any kind, but if the look that he had at the track was any indication, it wouldn't have been fun.

She fiddled absentmindedly with the hem of Dally's oversized shirt she was wearing, while kicking her legs against the side of the house; something which always annoyed her that he did when he would smoke in the room. She sighed to herself, as she drained the last of her hot chocolate. It was times like this that she wished he was there. He would have had something to say to Pony hat would make him feel a little better, even in the most tiniest of ways. But the closest she was ever gonna get to him for a while was simply wearing his shirt…and she knew that would have to do.

Stubbing her cigarette out against the side of the house, Mel threw the butt into the garden and listened quietly. She could vaguely hear the clanging sounds of Steve trying to stash his stolen hubcaps quietly all the way in the vacant lot. Unable to hide even the smallest of grins, Mel shook her head and jumped down from the window, shutting it behind her.

She wandered out to the hallway and over to her brother's room. Opening the door ever-so-slightly, she saw Ponyboy and Johnny fast asleep. Pony was half hanging off the bed with a book in his hands. Quietly, Mel tiptoed over and shifted him back on the bed before taking the book and setting on his desk. After checking on them one last time, Mel shut the door behind her.

Darry's light was still on, indicating that he was either still awake, or had fallen asleep with the light on. Normally, Mel would do the same as she did with Ponyboy. But not tonight; she was still angry and didn't want to risk him being awake. Instead, Mel walked silently back to her room and shut the door.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Sodapop sat silently on the ratty old couch in the vacant lot. The makeshift fire crackled in front of him as Steve tried to hide the newly acquired hubcaps inside the broken couch.

"Don't worry about it, buddy." Steve said, trying to shove another hubcap into the couch.

"Easier said than done, man." Soda mumbled. He picked up a nearby stick and started drawing random pictures in the dirt, not really focusing on anything.

"It'll all work out." Steve assured him.

"I honestly wish I could believe that." Soda said sadly. "it's just…everyone. I mean, look at Mel and Two-Bit…They've never had a fight like this."

"They fight all the time." Steve mentioned, sitting down on the ground beside his friend. Soda shook his head.

"Yeah…but not for longer than a couple of days…at most." He said. He chucked lightly as he continued his drawing.

"You know, I thought we'd all be friends forever." He said sadly. Steve sighed and started poking the fire with a stick.

"Yeah, well forever suddenly got a lot shorter, didn't it?"

Soda remained quiet, letting his friend's words sink in. Forever getting shorter…well, it certainly did seem that way.

oOoOoOoOoOo

_Half an hour…only half an hour…half an hour_

Melody kept repeating that to herself over and over; partly to keep herself awake, and also to remind herself that soon her shift would be over and she could go home and rest. She had worked the afternoon shift at the DX the day before, then spent all of two or so hours at home before having to take a double shift at the Dingo.

Resting her head in her hand, she leaned against the counter at work, trying her best not to fall asleep. She could vaguely here Tony in the background shouting at someone about something, but she didn't care.

"CURTIS!"

The loud, obnoxious voice startled Mel out of her daydream; causing her to jump suddenly and fall to the ground.

"What?" she called out; pulling herself to her feet again, using every ounce of strength she had not to scream at her employer.

"Table 5, now." Tony ordered, nodding to the tray waiting on the countertop. Mumbling to herself, Mel picked up the tray and headed over to the table. Halfway across the room, she noticed who the customer was.

"Oh Jesus Christ." She muttered under her breath. She looked around the room for the nearest person.

"Hey, Marcie?"

"Yeah?" the redhead wondered, walking over to Mel.

"Can you take this to table 5 over there?" Mel wondered, holding out the tray. Marcie looked at it for a moment before looking at Mel.

"Why?" she asked. "Didn't Tony ask you to do it?"

Mel rolled her eyes. The girl really wasn't the sharpest pencil in the box, but this was ridiculous.

"Please?" Mel begged. "If you do, I'll clean your tables."

The other girl sighed and nodded, taking the tray out of Mel's hands. She smiled in thanks and watched her deliver the food. The guy at the table seemed to be a little annoyed by the fact that it wasn't her who came over, but all the same, he accepted his order.

Dave Emerson was right at the top of Me's 'Most hated list', right alongside Sylvia Daniels and a few particular Socs. He was one of the youngest members of the Tulsa Police Force, and one of the most infuriating. He was always looking for some reason or another to put one of the greasers away…most often for nothing. And, for some strange, mind-boggling reason, he was convinced that Mel had a thing for him…or at least that's what he wanted. Whenever he was around he seemed to make it his goal to annoy her to no end.

Mel smirked at Emerson's reaction as she grabbed the rag and spray and went to clean Marcie's tables. Before she started working there, Mel was one of those people who just left everything there on the table when they were finished. Now, she hated those people…her friends too when they acted like slobs.

Just as she finished wiping the last table, a voice called out to her.

"Well, well…Melody Curtis." His smug voice said. Mel groaned to herself, debating whether or not to turn around. Finally, against her better judgment, she turned to face him.

Dave Emerson was sitting there at his table, usual smug expression on his face, and arms crossed over his chest in their usual position. Mel rolled her eyes and went to walk back to the counter.

"Oh, you can take this too." Emerson said. Biting her tongue, Mel walked over and moved his plate aside, before wiping the table quickly.

"So, haven't seen you around much." He said.

"Yeah, I've been busy." Mel said shortly, grabbing the empty glass and plate.

"I've missed seeing you around." Emerson said, sending her a nauseating smirk. Mel wanted nothing more to either throw up, or slap him. Right then, she was leaning more towards the latter.

"Right." She said, about to walk back to the kitchen.

"Uh, the table's dirty." He called out. Mel stopped suddenly and clenched her fists. Once again holding her tongue, she stalked back to the table and started cleaning it.

"Oh, come now, Melody." Emerson said. "Why the attitude, huh?"

"There's no attitude id...officer." She said, trying not to let her true thoughts out. Once again, Emerson merely grinned and crossed his arms over his chest.

"So, I hear that bum, Winston's off in jail…again." Emerson commented.

"Yeah…and I hear you were the one who took him in." Mel said.

"Oh come on, Melody…I was just doing my job…"

"Right. Now if you excuse me, I gotta go do mine."

And with that, she walked back over to the counter. When she arrived she all but threw the dishes at Tony and returned to her spot on the counter, leaning her head against it.

"Curtis, go home." Tony said. Mel lifted her head for a minute to face him.

"What?" she asked. Her boss rolled his eyes.

"Get out of here and go home, you're making the place look untidy." He said.

Mel didn't need to be told twice. She practically ripped off her apron and grabbed her beg before sprinting out the door. As she walked down the street, passed the group of stores along Sutton, she lit a cigarette, letting the calming affect take hold after a stressful day at work. Out of the corner of her eye, Mel could see a car trailing behind her, just a little way back.

'_Why now?_'she asked herself as she focused on keeping forward. She moved a little faster, hoping to get out of their way quickly. But no such luck; the car kept following her. In fact, the idiots inside decided to drive up alongside her.

"How's it goin, baby?" the driver asked, sticking his head out the window. The morons in the backseat hooted and cheered their friend on. Mel chose to ignore them; a small thought in the back of her mind kept wishing that they would lose interest and leave.

"Hey, I'm talkin to you." The Soc called out.

"Go to hell." Mel snapped as she continued walking. Suddenly, she heard the car stop. For a moment, she thought that they had actually given up. But when all five of them got out of the car, she knew she was wrong.

"shit!" she said, breaking out into a run as they started to advance on her.

"_Just fucking perfect,"_ she thought. _'I'm half a block from the damn joint and of course nobody notices.'_

She ran past the pawn shop as she heard the footsteps getting closer and closer. As she passed a side alleyway, she stupidly decided to look back at the guys chasing her. Big mistake. Without being able to see where she was running, Mel tripped over a crack in the pavement and fell to the ground, landing right on her wrist.

Wincing in pain, she tried to get to her feet. But it was too late; the guys had already caught up to her. They hauled her to her feet, slamming her against the wall of the alley. Mel tried to fight them off, but with her wrist it was hard, and their grip on her was just too strong.

"This'll teach you to talk back you greasy slut!" One of them said, shoving her to the ground. Mel cried out in pain as she landed on her back. The guys gathered round her, holding her down as their leader pulled out a blade, advancing on her. She shut her eyes, not wanting to witness anymore.

All of a sudden, more footsteps were heard, but Mel didn't dare open her eyes. She could hear the sounds of fighting; growing up in a gang full of guys makes you aware of the sounds that punches and kicks make. She felt the guys release her one by one. Bravely, she opened one eye, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

She couldn't really see what was going on from her spot on the ground, but she could make out another figure in amongst the fight. Actually, her rescuer was pulling most of the punches. Finally, the gang of Socs retreated, running away back towards their car.

Mel sighed in relief as she clutched her bruised wrist close to her chest. She lifted her head, ready to thank whoever it was that had helped her out, but they ran away. The only thing Mel could see was the back of someone in a hooded sweatshirt, running around the corner.

She sat in complete shock, wondering what the hell just happened. finally, the pain from her wrist set in overdrive and pulled her out of her delusional state. Getting to her feet finally, Mel inspected herself. Her Dingo uniform was now torn in some places. Mel sighed, knowing that she would have to sew it before her next shift, somehow. After inspecting for any more damage, Mel finally continued on her way home.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"People suck." Mel said, throwing her bag beside the door. She waved lazily to her eldest and youngest brothers in the living room.

"Why's that?" Soda called out from the kitchen. Mel shrugged off her coat as best she could while cradling her wrist as she followed the sounds of her brother's voice. She made sure to move a little faster so her brothers wouldn't see her uniform or wrist.

"They just do, I mean…" she stopped as she looked at the two in the kitchen. Both Soda and Angela were sitting on the kitchen counter with a large mixing bowl between them. A bottle of milk was on the counter, as well as bottle of chocolate syrup, although most of the bottle seemed to be smeared on the counter top.

"What are you doing?" she asked, raising her eyebrow. The two didn't even look up at her; they were completely focused on their creation.

"Making ice cream." Soda answered as he added more chocolate syrup into the mix.

"…How?"

"Haven't figured that part out yet." Angela shrugged. "But continue your ranting."

"What? Oh, right…yeah, people suck." Mel said. The blonde laughed a little and looked up at her friend. She was about to question the statement further but then she got a good look at her.

"But the...what happened to you?" she wondered, causing Soda to look up. His eyes widened as he looked at her ripped uniform and bruised wrist.

"Oh, nothing." Mel said. The other two shared a look of disbelief before looking back at her. Mel rolled her eyes.

"I'll get to that in a minute." She said. "Can you get me some aspirin?"

Angie nodded and hopped off the counter before heading to the bathroom. She returned a moment later with some pills.

"Thanks." Mel said, accepting them with a glass of water. "Now, where was I?"

"Oh right…why do people suck?" Angie asked, climbing back onto the counter and adding more chocolate syrup.

"Okay, so I'm working my ass off today. Tony's pissed about some bullshit or something, I don't really care." Mel explained, walking into the bathroom and searching through the cupboards. "Hang on; I'll be out in a second."

"Oh, you got a little…something, here." Soda said, pointing to the blonde's face. Angela wiped her mouth with her sleeve but found nothing. She looked at him confused.

"I don't…"

"Here." Soda offered. He reached forward and wiped a smudge of chocolate syrup from the corner of her mouth.

"See?" he said, showing her the tip of his finger before licking it clean. Angela smiled and blushed a little.

"Thanks." She said. The two smiled at each other just as Mel returned to the kitchen a few moments later with a bandage and some cleaning supplies.

"Okay…what was I saying?" she asked for a second time, opening a bottle of peroxide.

"Working your ass off." Soda said, not even looking at her. Instead, he was still smiling at his blonde accomplice.

"Right; so I'm working away, wiping some dumbass's table, when who decided he was gonna annoy me? Our favorite member of Tulsa's police force." She said, oozing sarcasm. Soda groaned.

"Serious?" he asked. Mel nodded her head. Angela looked between the two confused.

"Wait…who are we talking about?" she asked.

"Dave Emerson." Soda said. "The guys a real jerk. Real arrogant and loves to mess with us."

"Basically he's just another cop." Mel said.

"Kinda tall, black hair, smug expression, always has his arms crossed?" Angela wondered.

"That's the creep." Soda nodded.

"Yeah, I think I know him. He's taken Tim in a couple of times." Angela said.

"Yeah…he's the one who locked Dal away this time." Mel said, struggling with the bandage. "Had a mighty good time with it too."

"God, will you let me help with that?" Soda asked. Mel shook her head stubbornly.

"No, I got it." She said. Soda sighed, but nodded his head.

"So why the need for the bandage?" he asked.

"Right; so after my shift I'm leaving the Dingo am walking home when a group of socs started following me. Long story short, they wouldn't let me go and they basically jumped me. They started running after me and I tripped and I fell on my wrist." Mel explained.

"Wait, so how'd you get rid of them?" Angie wondered. Mel shrugged.

"I didn't." Mel said. The other two looked at each other confused once more before looking at her again, waiting for her to clarify.

"Huh?" They asked.

"When I was on the ground, I heard footsteps. I have no idea what happened but this guy just showed up and started beating the shit outta them." Mel said.

"Who was it?" Soda asked. Mel shrugged.

"I have no idea. I didn't see his face; he had a hood on. But when they ran and I started to get up, he ran away. I didn't even get to thank him or anything." She said.

"So this mysterious hero-person practically saves your ass and runs off before he; A. Sees to see if you're alright, and B. Let you thank him?" Angela asked. "What an ass."

"I don't know, I'm kinda glad he was there though." Mel said, still trying to wrap her hand. After another attempt, she groaned in frustration and stormed off to her room. Soda simply shook his head and sighed.

"She's unbelievable." He said. Angela shrugged and nodded.

"Can't argue there." She said. Soda went back to mixing, but was having a little difficulty. Finally, he sighed in frustration as he put the spoon back in to the mixing bowl.

"This isn't gonna work." He said. "Maybe we should just give up and buy ice cream."

Angela looked at him in mock horror as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Sodapop Curtis, you are not giving up!" she scolded. "Okay, so this isn't working out completely but we can still figure something out."

"Well, then what do you suggest?" Soda wondered, crossing his arms defiantly. Angela scrunched her face in concentration as she looked at all the ingredients in front of them, trying to figure out a solution to their ice cream dilemma. Suddenly, she had a thought.

"Wait…aside from the cream bit…it's really just milk, right?" she asked. Soda nodded his head.

"Right?" He said cautiously, wondering what she was thinking. Without another word, Angela moved their creation to the kitchen sink and grabbed a fresh bowl. She grabbed what was left of the milk and poured it in before grabbing the chocolate syrup.

"Why create something new when we can just reinvent an old favorite?" She said, squeezing the contents into the milk and mixing together a huge bowl of chocolate milk. Soda watched curiously as she then took the bowl and put in the top of the icebox. "There, ice cream a'la greaser."

Soda stood there bewildered, looking back and forth between her and the icebox.

"You're brilliant." He said simply. "Did you know that?"

"I've heard it once or twice." Angela shrugged. Soda was about to say something else when he was interrupted.

"SODA?" Mel called out.

"What?"

He got no reply, so he and Angie went back to work on their creation, assuming that whatever it was, wasn't important. The sound of footsteps drew their attention back to the doorway. Standing there, with a very scared and confused look on her face was Mel. In her hand…was their father's guitar.

"H-how….how did this get here?" She asked in a shaky voice. The yell caused the other two to come and see what was happening. "Did you get this?"

"No." Soda said, equally as confused. Mel turned to her other brothers. They shook their heads, both confused

"Well then how…?" Mel started. The others around her looked at one another confused, trying to figure out how on earth it got in there. They didn't even notice the sound of footsteps coming from the backdoor. Suddenly, Angie's eyes widened.

"Uh, Mel?" she said. The brunette looked at her friend and found her staring behind them. Curious, Mel, and everyone else in the room, looked towards the door, not at all expecting who was standing there.

"Two-Bit."


	62. Home

**A/N: Hey guys! Thank you all for the reviews! It's really making my day knowing that you're all loving the story...and I'm sorry about the cliffhanger :P I had so many ideas for this one but had a bit of trouble putting it all together...as usual. But I hope you all like it! Okay! So after this one, there is only one more chapter til the events in the book! I'm so excited to get into that soon. **

**Now, I need to ask everyone's opinion on something; **

**Would you all rather me end this story after the next chapter, and start a new story for the events in the book and those that follow? Or, to save confusion and all, just keep going with this one and make it super long? Please let me know cause that will determine faster updating and such. **

**Okay! Happy reading! x**

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Everyone was silent. Two-Bit's sudden reappearance was completely unexpected, and nobody really knew what to say or do. Not one of them wanted to be the first to move or speak; each waited somewhat impatiently for someone else to break the irrefutable tension that was in the air.

That night immediately ran thought both Mel and Two-Bit's mind. The last things that they spoke to each other were rapidly racing around their heads.

'_...You're nothing but a scared little girl who isn't strong enough to deal with anything the world throws mat you. So don't come over here on your high horse telling me what I have to do with my life! You have no fucking idea what I'm going through right now. You're so obsessed with playing happy fucking families because you can't have your own. So your perfect little family fell apart...whoop-de-fucking-do! Now you're just like everyone else around here in this god forsaken hellhole...'_

"_I guess everyone's right...you are a joke. I kept telling myself that you were better than this, Two-Bit, I thought you were the bigger man...so did Kathy. But I guess we were both wrong. I was just too blind to see it. I won't make that same mistake again. It's good to know what you really think of me. I'm glad that 16 years of friendship means that much to you...forever and always right? That's what you always said?"_

"_You break my heart…then again, you break everyone's heart."_

Ponyboy, Soda and Angela looked at each other, silently wondering what to do. Should they stay? Should they go? Should they say something before any one of them died from the intensity of the situation?

But the silence was eventually broken, by Melody of all people as she gasped quietly. How she didn't notice it to being with, she wasn't sure. But she sure noticed hit now. The jumper Two-Bit was wearing.

"It was you." She said quietly. "In the alley, wasn't it? You fought those guys."

Every eye was on Two-Bit then, waiting for an answer. The young man in question simply shrugged his shoulder, stuffing his hands into his jean pocket, much like Darry always did.

"Well, I couldn't just leave ya there, could I?" he asked. Darry and Ponyboy looked at the other two, silently wondering what he was talking about. But they simply shook their heads, ending the subject there.

"You cut your hair." Two-Bit said dumbly. Mel shrugged and fiddled with her messy and now short hair.

"Angie did it...I was drunk." She said. Darry's eyes widened a little as he looked at his younger sister. Mel the others winced a little, remembering that the elder Curtis was not aware of that small detail.

"You said..." but that's as far as he got. Using quick reflexes, Soda grabbed the mixing spoon he was using and threw it at his brother's head, silencing him. When Darry turned to question his brother, both Soda and Angela raised a finger to their lips, telling him to be quiet. Darry sighed and agreed; it was neither the time nor the place.

"What are you doing here?" Mel finally asked. Her voice was shaking; on the verge of leaving all together. A part of her wanted to just run out that front door, leaving the problem where it was. But she knew she couldn't. For another and much larger part of her, needed to stay and find out the truth.

"I thought it was about time we talked...face-to-face." Two-Bit said. "I...I had this whole speech thing prepared but...I don't know..."

As the scene unfolded, Angela quietly scanned the area, looking for a way to leave the two alone without drawing much attention. Eventually, she realized that the only way would be through the front door.

She glanced over Soda and nodded towards the door; signalling that the two estranged friends needed to talk alone. Soda nodded, voicing his agreement and jumped down off the counter.

"Come on Angie, we've got that...thing...that we needed to do." He said, not caring how feeble the excuse was. The blonde nodded her head and jumped off the counter and started to pull the other two out of the room. Darry looked like he wanted to protest; not happy about leaving the two teens alone in the house where a lot of damage could happen.

"Come on...this is gonna be awkward enough as it is without us here." Angela told him. Eventually, Darry relented and Soda and Angie were able to pull both him and Ponyboy away and out of the house.

"Subtle." Both Mel and Two-Bit said. They looked at each other in shock before Mel looked away and continued to try and bandage her wrist.

"What are you doing here?" she asked again, trying her best not to look at him. Two-Bit shrugged, and leaned against the countertop casually.

"I came to talk...hopefully without you biting my head off." He said.

"It's taken you nearly two months to do that?" Mel asked sceptically. Two-Bit didn't answer. He simply watched her struggling with the bandage for a moment before sighing and walking over.

"Give me that." He said, reaching for her wrist.

"I've got it." Mel said, snatching her hand away. She instantly regretted it when pain shot through her wrist, though. Two-Bit stifled a laugh.

"Yeah, it looks like it." He said, taking the bandage out of her hand and starting to wrap it properly. Melody didn't resist that time; possibly because she was still in shock that he was actually there.

"Shit, you really did a good job here." Two-Bit said, trying to make conversation.

"Why did you do it?" Mel wondered quietly, ignoring him. Two-Bit sighed, not taking his eyes off her wrist.

"Do what? What I did to you? Save your ass today, or get your guitar back?" he wondered.

"Wha...uh, all three?" Mel said, not sure what it came out as a question. Two-Bit sighed once more and stayed quiet. Mel scowled at him a little. "You wanted to talk, so here's your chance."

"Start with an easy one." Two-Bit said.

"Why did you help me out today?" She asked. She figured if they really were going to talk it all out finally, she might as well start from the bottom, and work their way up to the big stuff...what started this mess in the first place.

"Well, despite what happened, all that shit and...whatever...I'm still me. And you're still you...so there is no way in hell I was just gonna leave you there." Two-Bit said.

Despite everything, Mel was grateful that he still felt like that. After...that night, she wasn't sure if he would ever want to talk to her again.

"Besides," he continued. "I figured it was high time I was the one doing the savin'...after all those times you've saved my ass over the years."

Mel had to agree with him there. Eighteen years of knowing someone like Two-Bit doesn't come without the gift of getting out of a tight bind every now and again. She struggled to find the words to say next. Luckily, she didn't have to; it appeared he wasn't done yet.

"So, I guess I was just in the right place at the right time." He said. "Luckily that pawn shop is just a couple of stores away from the alley."

"I was..."

"I know I know...you were fine by yourself." Two-Bit interrupted, rolling his eyes. Mel crossed her arms. "Jesus girl, can't you just let your stupid pride go for once and say thank you?"

It was mumbled and almost incoherent...but he heard it.

"...thank you."

oOoOoOoOoOo

As soon as they were out of the house, the group parted ways. Ponyboy headed over to the lot to meet up with Johnny and Darry just wandered off, leaving Soda and Angela by themselves.

The sky was beginning to get darker, so the two decided to wander around a little, talking about nothing as they went. They walked down streets, away from the busy main streets of the town, down Bellson Avenue. There wasn't a car in sight, or hardly a person for that matter too.

Soon, the conversation slowed and the two walked in a comfortable silence. Soda kicked a small rock across the street as he walked deep in thought; something that did not go unnoticed by his blonde companion.

"What's wrong?" Angela asked. Soda looked up at her and shrugged. Angela scoffed. "Come on, you've had that same look of intense concentration on your face for the last half an hour now."

"I dunno, I guess I'm just worried." Soda said.

"About Mel and Two-Bit?" Angela wondered. The elder teen nodded. She shook her head. "Don't be. It's all gonna be fine."

"How can you be so sure?" Soda wondered. "They haven't spoken face-to-face in nearly two months...and you know how they are...especially how they get if they get angry. And what happens if..."

"This is the thing with you. You care too much." Angela said. Soda looked at her confused.

"I'm sorry. But, since when is that a bad thing?" he asked.

"It's not. But sometimes, you care too much about the wrong things. We all do it...just, some of us more than others, I guess." Angela explained. "Sometimes, you just gotta ...let go."

"So...you're saying that I shouldn't care about them right now?" he questioned. Angela shrugged.

"Just don't worry at this very moment." She said. "Like you said; we know how they are. They both have wanted to talk for the past two months, and now it's their chance. Things will work out...trust me."

"I hope you're right." Soda said. Angela smiled and they continued walking. It wasn't too long before they arrived at a deserted street. It took Angie only a moment to realize where they were. She smiled to himself and started walking ahead.

"Come on." She said.

"Where're we going?" Soda wondered. Angie merely rolled her eyes and walked back to him. She grabbed his hand and pulled him along.

"Just come on, I wanna show you something." She said.

She dragged him over towards the middle of the street, just under the stoplights. Soda watched as she let go of his hand and wandered into the middle of the street.

"What are you doing?" He asked. But Angie simply smiled and looked up at the lights as they changed from red to green.

"You're gonna get us run over." Soda said. Angie stopped and looked around, before looking back at him.

"By all the cars?" she wondered, gesturing to the empty and silent street. She smiled and Soda's face before looking up at the lights once more, then finally, sitting down in the middle of the road. Her arms stretched out wide. Soda walked over and stood beside her. He couldn't help but notice how peaceful she looked as she gazed up at the lights. Her big, brown eyes never moving from the stop above as the three colours reflected an almost non-existent glow on her face.

"Tim used to bring me out here sometimes when we were younger, when our folks used to fight real bad. Back before the gang, and his reputation and all that; before he became too tuff to do stuff like this with his little sister." Angie explained. "We'd lie down and watch the lights change the different colours; from green, to red, to yellow."

Soda said nothing, but simply watched the younger girl stare at the lights almost with admiration. Angela then lifted her head up to look at him.

"You could try it, if you wanted to." She said, lying back down.

"No." Soda refused.

"And why not?"

"Because...I don't know. A car could still come 'round the corner, you know? Smoosh you into a little pancake on the road, there. Will you just get up?" He asked. Angela giggled.

"This is your problem, like I said. You care too much about the wrong thing." She said. "This is a special place. Just...let go."

Soda looked at her for a moment, then at the non-existent traffic. He sighed, then walked over and lay down beside her. Angela grinned triumphantly and turned her gaze back to the lights.

"So...what happens if a car comes?" Soda asked.

"We die." Angela said with a completely straight face. Soda turned suddenly to look at her.

"What?" he asked, laughing slightly. Angie smiled.

"Just relax." She ordered. Soda sighed and took a deep breath, letting himself relax for a moment. Right then, at that particular moment, Soda found it kinda peaceful; like all his cares had magically left him as he looked up at the three colours above them. Angie was right.

"You were right." He said. Angie smiled.

"I usually am about these kinds of things." She said. Soda grinned at her and turned back to the lights once more. The two fell into a comfortable silence; watching as the lights changed colour from red, to green, to yellow.

"I kinda admire them." Angela said suddenly.

"The lights?" Soda wondered.

"Yeah. I know it sounds silly, but I kinda do."

"How so?"

"Well...they're always changing...yet, they know exactly what's gonna happen next." Angie said. "If only life were that simple."

Soda turned to look at her for a moment; thinking about what she had just said. It was a wise statement, something that he had never really considered or thought about before. He thought about how she said it was her 'special place'. He wondered just home many people knew about it, other than Tim and himself of course.

To others, it was simply a stoplight in a street. But Soda felt honoured that she was able to show him how much more it really was. Suddenly, he got an idea. He sat upright and got to his feet, holding his hand out for her. Angela looked at him confused.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Just come on." Soda said. Angela sighed and took his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet. There was one small problem; he pulled her up just a little too fast, sending her stumbling and falling right into his arms. Soda caught her and held her steady.

"You okay?" he asked. Soda looked up and him and smiled weakly.

"Yeah...I'm, I'm fine." She said. Soda smiled and helped her steady herself on her feet before wrapping his arm around her shoulders, helping to lead her towards the sidewalk. Angela smiled in thanks, silently savouring the feeling she had at that moment. As they walked down the street, they passed an elderly couple walking their way. The couple smiled at them as they passed.

"Ahh, young love. Aren't they adorable, George?" the woman wondered to her husband, smiling fondly at the two.

"That they are, Maude." The man replied. He tipped his hat to the two teens before he and his wife continued their journey. The two teens looked at each other in surprise before laughing quietly. They could only imagine how they looked.

"Well, come on sweetheart, there's something I wanna show you." Soda said, moving his arm from her shoulders and offering it to her.

"And what would that be, honey?" Angela wondered, playing along.

"Well...you showed me your special place." Soda said. "I thought I'd show you mine."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Two-Bit grinned at her response softly and looked at the floor, kicking his feet along the kitchen linoleum. Mel wrapped her arms around herself, careful of her newly bandaged wrist.

"What about the guitar?" she asked, getting on to the next important point of information. Two-Bit rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"What can I say about that?" he wondered. "It's your dad's guitar, Mel. I know how much that thing means to you. When I saw it the other day, I didn't believe that it was yours. But all our initials scratched on there, gave it away under closer inspection."

"How much did you pay for it?" Mel wondered.

"Nothing." Two-Bit said; his usual response. Mel rolled her eyes, wondering why she wasn't surprised at his answer.

"Five fingered discount?" she wondered. Two-Bit shook his head, taking her completely by surprise.

"So you didn't buy it...and you didn't steal it...then how...?" Mel asked. Two-Bit looked away from her, refusing to meet her gaze. Out of the corner of her eye, Mel noticed his hand twitching; something that usually happened when he was nervous or fidgeting. Only now, she noticed something different. In a situation like this, he would usually be fiddling with his...

"Wait..." Mel said, finally realizing what he had done. "You can't be serious?"

Two-Bit looked to the ground, confirming her suspicions. Melody looked at him in complete disbelief.

"You traded your switchblade?" She wondered. "How...? Why...? I mean..."

"I had to." Two-Bit said. "That thing meant everything to you, like I said. It was the only thing of minimal worth I had...and it was worth it."

Mel honestly felt as though she was going to cry. She couldn't believe that he had actually done that for her...especially after everything that had happened. She looked away from him, determined not to let him see her guard fall down. She took a moment to compose herself before facing him once more.

"Okay..."she said. "You said you had this big speech?"

"I uhh...well...yeah." Two-Bit said. Mel nodded and sat down at the kitchen table. She looked at him and motioned for him to continue.

"No interruptions?" he asked. Mel shook her head.

"No interruptions."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Angela wasn't sure where they were heading as Soda pulled her down a dark, deserted street. She was fairly sure that she had never been here, or perhaps never at night. Whatever it was, she was kinda worried, but she pushed that feeling aside when she remembered who she was with. She knew that no matter what, Soda wouldn't let any harm come to her.

"Are we heading anywhere in particular, or do you just like to hang out on dark street corners?" Angela joked. Soda grinned softly and shook his head.

"Nope, it's just up here." He promised. Angela sighed mockingly and continued to follow him.

The two walked a little further ahead until Soda stopped outside an old, partially run-down house. Angie stopped and looked at it. Aside from the obvious work that needed to be done, if she looked past that, the property was actually quite beautiful. She could tell that whoever had built that house certainly put a lot of love and thought into it.

"Where are we?" she asked; her eyes still wandering over the house. Soda stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned against the front gate. Angie worried for a moment that it wouldn't support him, but the fence was stronger than it looked.

"This is the house my daddy grew up in." Soda said. Angela pulled her eyes away and looked at him in surprise. She certainly wasn't expecting that.

"My granddaddy built this house just before my grandma told him she was pregnant with dad." He said. Angela smiled softly.

"You've never talked about your grandparents before." She said. Soda shrugged.

"I never really knew them." He said. "They died a little after Mel and I were born." He told her. Angela nodded in silent understanding. "When my parents met, dad promised that when he had kids, he would help granddaddy rebuild the place so his family could live here. He started when we were little, but... I guess he never got around to getting it done."

Angela walked over to him and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Soda looked up at her and smiled in thanks. The simply gesture seemed to pick his spirits up a lot more.

"Wanna go inside?" he asked.

"Sure."

Soda took her hand and led her through the gate and up the front steps. Once inside, Angela had a good look around. There were cobwebs everywhere, and every surface was covered in dust. But somehow, she could imagine his family living here.

Family portraits adorned the walls; some of which she only guessed was Mr, Curtis as a young boy with his parents, and even a few of him and his wife as teenagers.

Angela could see through the hall into the living room; complete with a sofa and a couple of chairs. More photos adorned the walls, as well as a few other knickknacks and such along the mantles. A dusty old radio sat, looking quite unloved and forgotten in the corner of the room.

"Soda, this place..." Angela started.

"Yeah, I know." Soda said, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's not much..."

"Not much? It's great." Angela said. Soda looked at her in shock.

"What?" he asked. The blonde looked at him smiling and nodded. Soda smiled, genuinely surprised with her response.

"Yeah, I mean. It might not look like it used to, but you can still tell that this place was amazing once upon a time." Angie said. "And the fact that you care so much about it...It's great, Soda."

Soda grinned and offered her his arm. Smiling, Angela accepted and allowed Soda to take her through all of the rooms; showing what was clearly a truly beautiful family home long ago. Before they knew it, they had pretty much seen everything that there was to see. Soda was right; it wasn't much, and a lot of it was in disrepair and was in need of a total overhaul, but that didn't stop the two from seeing its true beauty and potential.

"Angie?" Soda asked. The blonde looked up from her spot on the porch steps with questioning eyes.

"Hmm?" she wondered. Soda looked at the ground, debating about what he would say next.

"What do you think about dreams?" he asked, drawing invisible patterns on the porch.

"Do you mean like, dreams that you have while sleeping or like...hopes and dreams?" Angela wondered.

"Hopes and dreams." Soda clarified. "I mean...do you think they're worth having?"

She didn't answer right away. She simply looked at him for a while. It was usually considered to be a strange question for a greaser to ask...but for some reason, it wasn't that strange to her. He sat there, with his eyes downcast, facing the floor. Angela couldn't help wondering what he was thinking about then and there. She was used to him being the more sensitive, caring type...it was one of the things she liked about him; that anyone liked about him. But right then and there, he looked almost vulnerable; as if he had asked a really stupid question in class and was ashamed for it.

"Of course." She replied finally. At that moment he finally looked up at her.

"You think?" he wondered. Angela shrugged her shoulders and nodded.

"Why not? We all gotta want something right?" she asked. Soda smiled softly and nodded. It was though he wanted to end the conversation there; despite him being the one that brought it up in the first place. But Angela wasn't going to let him get away that easily.

"Why do you ask?" she wondered, bringing her knees to her chest and rested her chin upon it.

"Nahh, it's silly. It's a dumb idea. Just forget I said anything." Soda said, waving the thought away.

"Come on." Angie pushed. "It's just me."

Soda looked as though he wanted to protest and steer the conversation in another direction. But the look she gave him told him there was no chance of that happening. He took a deep breath and shrugged.

"I guess I wanted to know because...well, I guess this place is my dream." He said finally. Angela looked at him in confusion.

"This place is?" she questioned. Soda nodded.

"I want to finish what my dad and grandfather started." He said. "I wanna rebuild this place...make it what it was. I wanna settle down one day and raise a family here."

"Why is that a dumb idea?" Angela wondered.

"'Cause I know I would never be able to do it." He said.

"What? Why not?" Angie asked.

"Well, because I'm dumb." Soda said plainly.

"Soda..."

"No. It's true. I mean, I dropped out. I was only passing Auto and Gym. So I guess..."

"Just stop." Angela said, cutting him off. "Will you stop talking about yourself like that?"

"But it's true."

"Don't you get it? Nobody thinks that's true." Angela said. "You are not dumb Soda...you're far from it."

"But school, and... I mean..." he started. Angela rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh.

"So you dropped out of school...so what?" she asked. "So did my bothers, and a lot of other people we know. Okay, yes you were only passing two classes...who cares? You can do...and are doing so many things that they can never teach you in schools."

"Like what?" Soda asked, not at all convinced.

"Well, for starters you look after your three siblings and countless others that drop in and out of your house, as well as yourself. You're a primary source of income doing a job that you love. "

"Yeah but..."

"No buts about it. You're kind, caring...and, like you said...you have dreams. This place right here. You have so much that you can do; anything you ever wanted to. A dream like this is, it's a lot more than any other seventeen year old would think about. And well...it, it's a lot more than most people around here." She said.

"You really think all that?" Soda asked; a small smile playing on his lips. Angela shrugged.

"Wouldn't have said it if I didn't." She said softly. Soda's smile widened and grew into a grin, and then Angela knew that the usual Sodapop was back.

"Thanks Angie." He said.

"Anytime." She said. "Now, tell me, what're your plans for this place?"

oOoOoOoOoOo

Mel sat in silence as she waited for Two-Bit to begin. At the moment, he was currently leaning against the countertop, much like he usually did, but he was nervous; there was no denying that. Mumbling to himself quietly, trying to figure out where to begin.

"Shoot." He said finally. "I had this whole thing planned...kinda. But now, I'm just gonna go for it...okay?"

Mel nodded silently, pulling her attention away from the fraying ends of her bandaged wrist. She gave him a small half-smile, wordlessly telling him that no matter what he would say, she would listen.

"I didn't come here to ask to be forgiven. I don't want to be because I know that everything that I did can never be forgiven. I was scared. I know that's a real lousy excuse…but I was. I mean, come on me, a father? I think it's safe to say that nobody ever thought of that. Mel I look back on my life and think 'this isn't the kind of life that most kids should have'…and it sure as hell isn't the life for a kid to know. I mean, it's bad enough I act like I do around Teeny, let alone a baby. So yeah, I was scared. Perhaps if I had found out differently, I might have reacted different…perhaps not.

"Hell, I can't even look after myself. You know the first thing that went through my head when I found out? My father. That goddamned son of a bitch was the first thought I had when Kathy told me she was pregnant. I couldn't deal with that kind of responsibility. I couldn't be like him….I promised I wouldn't. But by running, I was more like him than I realized. I don't know the first thing about being a father. I…I just can't do it.

"I mean, come on…you remember what he was like? He was a pig. Did nothing but drink beer and sit on his ass watching TV. My mom was the only one doing any work around the house. He couldn't even stand looking or listening to me…or Teeny. Just sat around, going getting drunk, gambling everything we made…oh my god…I am turning out to be him, aren't I? Jesus Christ, how the hell…I mean…"

"Two-Bit, you're rambling…" Mel said.

"Oh…right. But all that stuff aside…what I did to you. What I said…and what I did, unintentionally, to Dally…I will never be able to forgive myself for. I can blame the alcohol, or the feelings from Kathy and the…the baby…but I can't. You're the one person that I never thought I would ever throw out like that. I mean…you were helping me out; trying to talk some sense into me, and hell, yelling something fierce at me, which I totally deserved, and all I did was hurt you. What I said to you…about playing happy families and…and how I wished it was you and Dal…I'm so, so sorry, Mel."

Silence.

She sat there, trying to process everything that he had just said and let it sink in. never before had she ever heard him say something that heartfelt; probably because there has never really been an occasion for it to be warranted.

"All that…it's like you're the only one that was in the wrong. I said some pretty horrible things too." Mel said quietly, looking at the floor.

"It wasn't that bad." Two-Bit shrugged. Mel looked at him in disbelief.

"I called you a joke, slapped you in the face and compared you to your father." She said. "…among other things that I don't think either of us wanna remember."

"Yeah…that did suck." Two-Bit agreed. "But, I deserved it."

"No…you didn't."

"Shut up, I did and you know it." Two-Bit said. "But, it doesn't matter anymore. It helped me realize that I really needed to wake up to myself. You were right, I was irresponsible and all that junk…but I'm gonna try and make it better…starting with us."

Mel nodded silently, and got up from the table. She wandered past him, still leaning against the counter, and over to the refrigerator. She searched through before pulling out a beer and offered it to him. To her surprise, he shook his head, declining his usual choice of beverage. Instead, she pulled out the bottle of chocolate milk.

"We can't act like this never happened." she said, handing him a glass. Two-Bit accepted it with a slow nod.

"I know. But…to be honest…I don't really want to." He said. "Do you?"

"…No." Mel said finally, taking a sip of her milk. They both knew that this wasn't just something that they could 'sweep under the rug', so to speak. It was something that they had to think about, and work on to make sure that it never happened again.

"But I know that I don't want to fight any more." She said. Two-Bit looked up at her hopefully. "I can't fight anymore."

"Really?" he wondered. Mel smiled softly and nodded. Tears were now threatening to fall, and she knew that there really wasn't much she could do to stop it.

"…I just want my best friend back." She said. Two-Bit's face then broke out into a small smile, gradually getting bigger.

"So do I." He said. Mel smiled happily, not caring that the tears were now flowing freely down her cheeks. Two-Bit sighed deeply and shoved his hands in his pockets once more.

"So…can I come home?" he asked shyly. Mel couldn't help but laugh. She crossed her arms as she pretended to think about it. Finally, after a moment of keeping him on edge, she sighed overdramatically and shrugged. Two-Bit looked at her warily, causing her to laugh once more.

"Yeah." She said. Two-Bit grinned and held his arms out wide. Mel smiled and ran over to him, throwing her arms around him. Two-Bit wrapped his arms around her; picking her up off the floor.

"Don't you ever, ever stay away that long again, you hear me?" Mel threatened, holding him closer. Two-Bit grinned.

"I hear ya."

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Yeah, and I'm gonna get new furniture. And fix those walls in there. And there's a big barn out round the back which I could turn into a mini shop for the cars and stuff…"

"Sounds like you really have this place sorted out."

"Yeah, I guess I do."

"What happens if you lose the place? Or if someone buys it?" Angela wondered. Soda shook his head.

"They can't. Grandma wrote it in her will that the house stays in the family and goes to the first of us that gets married." Soda explained.

"Oh." Angela said. Soda nodded.

"Yeah. For a while we all thought it would be Darry. But, I don't know. He doesn't want it anyway."

"He doesn't?" she asked. Soda shook his head again.

"Nope. He'll stay in our house as long as he can." He said. "I don't know about Mel or what she wants, and I know Ponyboy has a little while to think about stuff like this."

"Well, what about me?" Angela asked suddenly. Soda looked at her confused.

"Huh?" he asked. Angela laughed at his reaction as she crossed her arms across her head.

"Now don't I get any say in this…honey?" She asked, referring to earlier that evening with the elderly couple at the stoplights. Soda grinned and shrugged.

"You want a say in this?" he asked.

"Yes, I would." She smiled.

"What do you want?" Soda wondered. Angela smiled and folded her hands behind her back as she wandered around the porch. Soda couldn't help but chuckle at her 'evaluation.'

"I want a white house…with blue shutters..."

"Mm-hmm."

"And a tire swing in that tree over there."

"Anything else?"

"Yes. A big old porch, like this one but bigger; wrapping around the entire house." She finished. Soda smiled and nodded.

"Okay." He said. Angela grinned and leaned her back against the side of the house.

"You promise?" She wondered jokingly. Soda nodded once more as he sat back down on the steps.

"I promise." He said. Angela smiled, happy with his response. Silence fell upon the two once more, as the night air began to set in.

"What does Sandy think about all this?" Angie wondered, looking away from him. Soda looked up at her once more, unable to see her face.

"She doesn't." he said plainly. Angie screwed up her face in confusion as she turned to face him. The look on her face was all the questioning Soda needed. "I haven't really talked about it with her."

"So…how come you brought me here, and not her?" Angie wondered, getting more and more confused by the minute. Soda merely shrugged and jumped down off the porch.

"Because." He said. "It's you."

Angela looked at him even more confused than before…if that was at all possible.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked. Soda simply smiled and walked towards the gate.

"Come on, I should get you home." He said, leaving her sitting there on the front porch. Angela sat there, staring after him as she tried to make sense of what he just said.

"Soda! What did you mean by that?" she called out, jumping up off the porch and racing out the gate to follow him.

"Come on!"

The young blonde sighed as she stood in the street, watching her friend, more recently known as the guy she had fallen for, run away from her down the street.

"Sodapop Curtis, you're gonna be the death of me." She mumbled to herself, sprinting after him.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The bridges had been mended. The fight was over, and there was peace once more in the Curtis household. Mel and Two-Bit were now sitting in the living room with two mugs of chocolate milk and half a chocolate cake between them. The TV was on low in the background being ignored by the two teenagers.

"I still am really sorry." Two-Bit said. Mel sighed in frustration.

"Can you stop apologizing already?" she wondered. Two-Bit shook his head.

"I'm serious…I really regret what I said to you." He said. Mel nodded.

"So am I." she said.

"I'm sorry that I said it should have been you and Dal." Two-Bit said.

"I'm sorry that I told you that you fucked up and that you're a spoilt kid and I'm sorry I compared you to your father." Mel said.

"Hell, it's the truth." Two-Bit laughed. "But I am sorry that Dal's in jail cause of me. That must really suck, huh?"

"Yeah it does. But I'm actually doing okay without him, believe it or not. And, I'm sorry that I called you irresponsible." Mel said.

"Wasn't the first time...or the last. Besides, I'm sorry that I said you were on a permanent case of PMS." Two-Bit said. Mel raised a quizzical brow at him.

"You never said that."

"Well, not to your face." Two-Bit admitted. Mel looked at him in disbelief for a moment before she cracked up laughing. The sound was infectious, as it often is, and Two-Bit soon found himself laughing too. Eventually, the two teens were lying on the living room floor, rolling around in fits of laughter.

"Seriously though, we gotta stop apologising...it's gonna turn into a competition." Mel said. Two-Bit suppressed his laughter and nodded.

"Yeah, you're right." He said, sitting upright once more.

"We do have one other thing to talk about though." Mel said. Two-Bit looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue; although he was pretty sure he knew what she was talking about.

"What are you planning to do about Kathy and the baby?" Mel asked. "I mean, how do you feel about it now?"

"Well, I'm still not sure about it. I mean...I don't know. Up until a few weeks ago, I would have been able to give you a straight answer; I wanted nothing to do with it. But then Soda came by...and brought that picture for my mom. When I saw it...I don't know, man. Something happened. I couldn't believe that something that tiny and well...I couldn't believe that I helped make it, you know?" Two-Bit said. Mel nodded in understanding.

"It's called natural instinct. That whole TLC side of you is starting to kick in." She smiled. "So, you wanna be a part of its life?"

"I have no clue about what I'm doing...but, I think, after I really get used to the idea...I think I do. At least, I want Kathy back. As for the kid...yeah, I do." Two-Bit admitted. Mel smiled.

"Finally you've come to your senses!" she said. Two-Bit rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah." He said.

"But first things first...how you gonna win them back?" Mel wondered. "I mean, she's not going to be as easy to win over as me...you really hurt her bad, Two-Bit."

"I know...but I've got a plan." Two-Bit said.

"Why does that not fill me with confidence at all?" Mel wondered. Two-Bit pointedly ignored that comment.

"I mean it, I've had a lot of time to think about it...and I think it will work. I just need your help." He said. Mel looked at him in surprise.

"My help?" she asked. Two-Bit nodded. "What can I do?"

"I need to borrow one of your talents." Two-Bit said cryptically. "What's one thing that you're really good at?"

"Fixing cars?" Mel wondered.

"Yes, but no." Two-Bit said. "Think more along the lines of a god-given talent kind of thing."

Mel was confused. She thought about what he could be talking about, when she spotted her guitar sitting in the corner of the room.

"My music?" she wondered. Two-Bit grinned and nodded. "You...you want me to help you write a song?"

"bingo." He said. "I kinda have an idea of what to say... but I'm no good putting it all together or music, or that kind of junk. That's where you come in. So...you in?"

"I'm in." Mel smiled, holding out her hand. Two-Bit looked down, smiling slightly at the familiar scar that lay across her palm. He looked down at his own hand for a split second before high-fiving hers.

**A/N2: YAAAAY! Friends again! Seriously...this chapter took forever for me to try and get it right...but I'm pretty happy with this. This chapter was also going to be longer with a bit about Soda coming home and his thoughts and such, but I figured A) this chapter is already nearly 7000 words and B) it will help the next chapter if I put it in there...so you'll have to wait for that one :P I have already chosen what will probably be the song that Two-Bit and Mel write for Kathy, but I am open to suggestions...drop us a line if you have one! And yes, I know I borrowed some things from the Notebook once again...but come on, didn't they work well? :P**

**Hope you all liked this chapter and please, review or send a message to let me know any thoughts, comments or questions...I love hearing from you guys! Much love!**


	63. The Reason

**A/N: Hey y'all! Well, this is it...the last chapter before the events of the book/movie start to take place (well, my take anyway :P ) I hope you all enjoy this chapter...it took me a while to write and I'm pretty pleased with it, so I hope you are too. The song I was originally going to use was 'Two id Better than one'. However, I believe the lyrics of the song I have used are more relevant :) (Thanks to Tash for helping with that one :) )**

**Also, I have exams coming up soon, so I'm going to be busy studying; so I'm not 100% sure when the next update will be. But I'm not abandoning this! It shouldn't be too long, so don't worry :) **

**So yeah, enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review if you'd like :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders. It belongs to S.E Hinton and Francis Ford Coppola. I merely own the characters you don't recognise and the basic plot up until now. Also, I don't own the song or lyrics to 'The Reason' or 'Over the Rainbow'.**

"Once again, you didn't have to walk me to my door." Angela laughed as she and Soda walked up the porch steps.

"And once again I don't mind." Soda smiled. "You really think I was gonna let you walk home on your lonesome?"

"Always the gentleman." Angie said, shaking her head at his teasing tone. Soda merely grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, what's right is right." He laughed. Angie couldn't help but smile too. It seemed that his good mood was somewhat infectious. When they reached the front door, they could hear the sounds of loud talking and laughter, drowning out the radio that could only just be heard in the background.

"Looks like Tim's got the entire gang over." Angie said, sighing slightly.

"You gonna be alright?" Soda wondered. The blonde couldn't help but giggle at his act of chivalry, or his tone of concern for her...or the butterfly feeling it gave her.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm a tough girl...tie my own shoes and everything, you know?" she said. Soda rolled his eyes and grinned.

"Impressive." He said dryly. Angie simply shrugged and waved the thought away.

"Seriously though, it's cool. I'll just lock myself in my room for the rest of the night. It's fine." She said. Soda nodded his head in understanding.

"Well...if you sure. You can always come by our place too if it gets too much for ya." Soda offered. Angela smiled in thanks.

"You guys are gonna be sick of me soon." She laughed. Soda scoffed and sent her an incredulous look.

"You? Never!" he said. Angie grinned, once again getting the fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach. She somehow managed to ignore it, and mask herself with a grin.

"I'll keep that in mind." She promised. "Thanks again for today...it was fun."

"Yeah, it was." Soda agreed with a grin. "I guess I better get home now and inspect the battlefront; see if there are any casualties."

"I told you, it'll all work out...especially by now. You gotta start to trust me about these things." Angie said.

"How can you be so sure?" Soda asked, repeating his question from earlier that afternoon. Angie sighed and shrugged once more.

"Call it women's intuition." She said, sending him a wink. Soda laughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Alright...I trust you." He said. "I'll see you later, Angie."

Angela smiled and waved to him as he ran down the porch steps and out to the street. When he reached the front gate, Soda stopped and turned around. He just stood there, for what seemed like forever to the both of them. Then, before Angela could even ask him what he was doing, he smiled, sent her a wink and walked off down the street.

The blonde Shepard was thankful for the cover of the darkened sky to hide her increasing blush. She watched him go, looking on until he became nothing but a dark shadow down the street.

That look on his face, just as he stopped at the gate. She could have sworn that...no, she must be imagining it. He couldn't look like that...not at her anyway...but still...

Angela sighed to herself, resting her face in her hands. She was in big trouble, and she knew it.

"Sodapop Curtis, you're gonna be the death of me." She mumbled to herself, for the second time that night, before heading inside the house.

Her earlier assumptions were right; her house was now filled with almost every member of the infamous Shepard gang, or as she liked to call them; the bunch of morons that followed her brother around. Groups of guys were spread out throughout the house; playing cards, watching the busted up television set, picking fights with one another...the usual. Hell, compared to this, the Curtis house looks like an afternoon garden party.

But Angie wasn't really in the mood to socialise, least of all with her brother's gang. She decided that she would go undetected to the kitchen; get a drink and something to eat before retreating to the safety and quiet of her bedroom.

"You're home." A voice called out from the middle of the room. Angela fought the urge to roll her eyes. Her brothers really were thick sometimes.

"Well spotted, genius." She said. "Don't stress, I'm just heading to the kitchen then going to my room. I'll be out of your way soon."

Tim simply grunted a response and went back to collecting the money he was obviously owed by his buddies. Angela shook her head before making her way to the kitchen.

The refrigerator was practically empty, like usual after one of the common house invasions that Tim and Curly often initiated. Lucky for her, she was able to salvage a few bottles of pop and a bag of chips successfully.

When she collected her midnight snack, Angela shut the refrigerator door and was about to head upstairs when she collided with someone.

"Whoa, careful there, Ange." A voice said, putting their arms on her shoulders to steady her.

"Thanks Greg." She said gratefully. "Sorry for running into ya."

"No harm done." He laughed.

Greg Davis was probably one of the least intimidating members of Tim's gang. He was seventeen and tall, with dusty blonde hair that he refused to grease back. He was good in a fight, and loyal to the gang, but wasn't one who went out of his way to cause trouble, unlike Angela's brothers.

"Well, I better head upstairs." Angie said, grabbing her stuff and heading towards the door. "Don't wanna keep you from all of this."

"Well, before you go." Greg called out, stopping her in her tracks. Angie sighed inwardly, having a pretty good idea what was about to be said.

"I was just wonderin', if, I don't know...you might wanna grab a bite to eat this Saturday?"

"That's really sweet, Greg. But, maybe not this weekend, sorry." Angie said. She could see the sadness in his eyes, but he regained a tough exterior quickly.

"Sure, that's cool." He said, shrugging it off. "Maybe some other time."

Angie smiled softly and nodded. She wished him goodnight before turning around and headed upstairs. When she reached the safety of her room, Angie threw her snacks on the bed and shot the door quickly, resting her back against it.

How could she let it get this far? One person had consumed her thoughts so much that she couldn't even go out with someone who was actually showing some interest in her, as more than just a friend.

Yep. It was official. She was in big trouble alright.

oOoOoOoOoOo

As Soda walked home, a million thoughts raced around his mind. The lights...the little old couple...the house...what Angela said...about the house...about his dreams...about Sandy...what she didn't say...

It was all confusing him.

_Why did I take her there?_

He told himself that he didn't know why he took her there. But that little voice inside told him that that was a lie. He took her there because she showed him her special place, and he wanted to return the favour. But, that little voice piped up again and told him that was a lie too. He had taken her there because he wanted to. And all that stuff she was saying about how she could picture the place...he didn't have the chance to tell her what he thought...or that he couldn't have come up with a better plan for the place.

Suddenly, he wondered about what she said about Sandy. What would she say about the house? But then again, she hasn't been there. Why hadn't he shown Sandy the house before? Probably because she has never wanted to see it, or hasn't been able to come by yet. He sometimes brought it up to her, not as much nowadays, but he used to. Sandy always seemed to show some kind of interest in the house, but didn't really think of it as any more than an idea.

Deep down, Soda knew that Angela was probably one of the only people that would really understand what the house meant to him...and about his dreams. And what she said to him...about him not being dumb...nobody had ever really said that to him before. Sure, his siblings had tried, but not the way she did.

Sandy always kinda made him feel a little guilty about dropping out. She said that she missed seeing him in the hall, and him walking to class with her, and walking home together. But, never about how school wasn't the place for him, or that he just wasn't enjoying it.

But she did visit him all the time after school at the DX. Drove the other girls nuts, it did. It was kinda funny, to see their reactions when Sandy would come up to them and kiss him. Then she would sit with him, in the office or in the shop and talk to him while he worked. He would ask her about her day, and how everything was going for her. And she would ask him about his day, but more out of politeness then real interest about the happenings of a DX Station.

Soda couldn't help but think of how Angela would visit too. Sometimes to see Mel, or as a meeting spot with one of the others. But sometimes she would just hang around and joke with him and Steve. She didn't have any problems sitting on a dirty, grease-covered work bench while he and Steve fixed cars. Heck, she'd even help out once in a while.

Without realising it, Soda found himself somewhat comparing the two. Sandy; her china-blue eyes and long natural blonde hair, usually curled. Angela and her deep brown eyes that, for some reason, reminded Soda of chocolate. Her hair was more of a honey blonde, which she usually wore in messy braids, or loosely curled.

Sandy usually wore skirts, or on occasion, pants, not uncommon for a greaser girl, yet nothing like someone like Sylvia would wear. Angie, on the other hand, was more than happy to be seen in jeans and an old, ratty shirt, or denim shorts and a shirt she had managed to steal from melody or one of the others.

Sandy got along with his family and the gang, but was always quieter around them, not really being speaking unless spoken to, and more out of being polite than anything. She often declined joining them for outings or dinner, mainly because it seemed like she didn't want to be in the middle of anything that would happen between Two-Bit and Steve, or Dally. Angela on the other hand, had no problem with picking a fight with one of the guys, or even has a crack at Darry and doesn't get in too much trouble for it (something very few people were able to accomplish). She was louder, inclusive and was seen as one of the gang.

Soda shook his head, ridding his head of the thoughts. He shouldn't be comparing the two. They were both completely different people. One was his girlfriend, the other was...well...in all honesty, what was she? Angela was...Angela; one of his best friends...wasn't she?

It was then that a wide grin found itself onto Soda's face. He had had a revelation of sorts as he knew, then and there, something that had been plaguing his mind for quite some time.

Finally, Soda arrived back at the house. The lights were out, and the front of the place looked like it had when he left; a good sign to begin with.

Entering the living room, he was somewhat relieved that there was no visible structural damage to the place. Everything seemed to be where it should be, and there were no signs of blood, or a murder weapon. Somehow, he had a feeling that Angela was right, and that both his sister and Two-Bit had survived the confrontation.

Soda headed towards his sister's room, where he found her lying on her stomach, half falling off the bed, fast asleep. He almost felt guilty about wanting to wake her up...almost.

Quietly, he walked over to the bed and crouched down beside her. It was a long shot that he would even manage to wake her up, but he was determined. He would stay there all night trying if he had to.

"Mel," he whispered. "Mel, wake up. Mel...Mel...Mel...Mel..."

Melody scrunched up her face as she tried to ignore him and go back to sleep. Soda sighed in annoyance and flicked her forehead repeatedly. After trying to ignore him, Mel finally gave up and swatted his hand away.

"What time is it?" she mumbled sleepily.

"I don't know... like, 11 maybe?"

"Sodapop, it's 11 at night. I worked my ass off all day. I got jumped; I have a bruised and sprained wrist. I made up with Two-Bit, cooked dinner and helped Pony with his homework. I am exhausted. And I have to be up at the DX early tomorrow...can't you let me sleep?" She wondered

Soda couldn't help but grin at his sister's response. He sighed dramatically as he sat up off the bed.

"Fine, I'll let you sleep." He said sadly.

"Oh, you're so kind." Mel said, sarcastically.

"I just thought I'd tell you something." Soda said. He leaned down so that his face was right beside hers.

"I'm in love." He whispered.

That got her attention. Luckily Soda thought about her reaction before hand and jumped out of the way when she sat up suddenly.

"What?" she asked.

"I'll let you get your rest now." Soda smirked, jumping off the bed.

"What? No, get back here and talk mister!" Mel pleaded, now wide awake.

"Goodnight, sis." Soda laughed, closing the bedroom door just in time to dodge the pillow that was strategically aimed at his head.

"Sodapop Curtis, you're gonna be the death of me." She called out. Soda chuckled to himself quietly before heading into the kitchen to raid the ice box. After looking around on the shelves for something, his eyes fell upon a big mixing bowl. Smiling to himself, he grabbed the home-made ice cream and a carton of milk before headed to his room.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"This is gonna work...right?"

Melody sighed as she walked down the street, carrying her guitar case beside her. She had been asked that question all day, and, after giving the same response every time, she was starting to get a little annoyed at her best friend.

"For the millionth time, Two-Bit; yes, this is going to work." She said. But Two-Bit wasn't convinced.

"Are you sure we went over it enough?" he asked.

"Two-Bit, we've spent the good half of this week going over and over and over it." Melody replied.

"What if I mess up and forget the words?" Two-Bit questioned.

"See previous answer. And besides, you wrote most of them yourself." Mel said.

"What if she doesn't listen? Or worse, what if she hates it? Or what if..."

"What if I decide to turn around and go home if you keep freaking out about this?" Mel interrupted. The look of sheer terror on Two-Bit's face should have made her laugh, but it didn't. She sighed and shook her head.

"Relax; I'm not going to ditch you." She promised. "But you have to stop freaking out about this. If something doesn't go right, then you try and try again, got it?"

Two-Bit nodded his head, still not entirely sure about the whole situation, but he wasn't going to speak out again. Instead, the two walked the rest of the way in near silence; with Two-Bit humming to himself to remind him of the lyric or the certain part he was supposed to do.

Mel couldn't help but smile at him. He was so determined to make this plan work, and to win Kathy back...she was really proud of him. In almost a week since their reconciliation, he seemed to have started growing up already. She just prayed over and over that someone would cut them all a little slack and let this crazy idea of his work out.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Kathy was lying on her bed, running her hand over her growing stomach. Almost in her fifth month, her baby belly was definitely showing now, and it was becoming harder and harder to hide. She wasn't ashamed of it; it was just more difficult for people to have the same opinion of her.

She quit her job waitressing at the Dingo earlier in the week. _It would have been bad for business to have a girl knocked up on the staff._ That was Tony's view. But she knew that after the baby was born, Tony would take her back if she wanted the job again. He was too desperate for competent waitresses not to consider it.

A small sound brought her out of her thoughts suddenly.

'_Clank!'_

She chose to ignore it. It was most likely just a bird or something outside, or a part of the house creaking or even Scott walking around on loose floorboards.

Lynn had gone with her when she quit. The woman had honestly been a complete godsend throughout everything. It still shocked Kathy, to some degree that she had sided with her over her own son. But then again, Lynn had always been one of Two-Bit's toughest critics (the others being Melody, Mrs. Curtis and, at a point, herself).

Never before had she ever seen the woman so excited as she had been about becoming a grandmother. She did it tough on her own, with a full time job and raising two kids. But that didn't stop her from taking time to go to appointments, and go shopping and planning everything that Kathy was going to need over the next few months before the baby arrived. She was the mother that Kathy had always wanted, but never really had, and it was times like this that she really wished her mother had stuck around a little longer than she had.

'_Clank!'_

Never before had Kathy ever been so grateful to have people around her. After getting over the initial 'raging and wanting to kill someone' stage, Scott had grown pretty used to the fact that in a few months, he would have a little niece or nephew around. The tough as anything hood was beginning to show a softer, more compassionate side as he promised to help his baby sister out with anything she needed or wanted; even being in talks with Darry and some of the guys about fixing up one of the old rooms as a nursery.

Her friends were going far beyond the call of duty; particularly Sodapop. More running around with appointments and errands and other things, Kathy was unable to count the amount of times she had thanked him and promised to repay him, much to his assurance that he was not doing it out of duty, but because he wanted to help out, and joking around the fact that he should be named godfather when the time came (what had turned into a personal joke between the two).

But still, there was one thing that she couldn't fix. One hole that nobody, no matter how much they did for her or what they promised, could ever fill.

Two-Bit.

'_Clank!'_

The noise kept coming, and it was starting to annoy her. Still, Kathy chose to ignore it, hoping that whatever it was, would decide to go away and give her some peace.

She was still mad beyond words. He had hurt her so deeply that she knew it would take time to ever get back to where they were, if they ever had the chance. But deep down, past the hate and the loathing and the broken heart...she missed him.

It was the understatement of a lifetime saying that their current circumstances were not how she imagined their relationship to be when it came to things like this. She had hoped that whenever they had decided to have kids, he would be there beside her, doing all the things that he not only needed, but also wanted to do. Things that, although she was eternally grateful that her friends and family were doing, she knew were supposed to be done by the father of her child.

'_Clank!' 'Clank!' 'Clank!' _

Finally, she had had enough. Whatever that noise was it was obvious that it was not going to go away in a hurry. As best she could, Kathy got up from her bed and walked over to her window. She was honestly both surprised and shocked at what she saw.

Two-Bit was standing outside her window, ready to throw another rock at her window if need be. She wasn't ready for this. She knew that she was just thinking of how much she needed to see him, but now that he was here, Kathy wasn't sure that she could face him. But, looking at his face after so long, all the hurt had returned to her, along with the anger she felt towards him.

Kathy rolled her eyes and turned away to leave, but Two-Bit wasn't having any of it. He tossed another rock at her window, bringing her attention to him once more.

Kathy turned around and glared at him as she reluctantly opened her window.

"What do you want?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Two-Bit looked up at her and suddenly felt nervous once again. It had been a long time since he had seen her...and she certainly looked different. Even though he couldn't see all of her, he still thought she looked as beautiful as the day he met her. Suddenly, Two-Bit lost all ability of coherency. He started stuttering and stumbling over his words. It wasn't until he was brought out of his stupor by something rather hard hitting him on the side of the head. Looking at the ground, he saw it was a shoe.

Kathy looked at the shoe confusedly and turned to find Melody leaning against the side of the house, staying (until that moment) out of sight. The brunette smiled weakly and waved a little at her friend.

"Great, I'm being ambushed." Kathy muttered. She shook her head in disbelief before turning her attention back to Two-Bit.

"You know if Scott finds you here you're gonna get your ass kicked." She said.

"Actually, he knows I'm here." Two-Bit said. Kathy looked at him in disbelief.

"What?"

"Yeah. I'll admit he wasn't happy about it at first...but he eventually came around after he knew what I wanted."

"And what exactly do you want?" she asked.

"Just...five minutes to talk to you." Two-Bit said. Kathy scoffed.

"I would have thought you said everything that you wanted to back then." She said.

"Look...I know I said a lot of shit that day...some I meant. But...I was scared. I wasn't thinking..."

"Like usual." Melody mumbled. Two-Bit glared at her, telling her she wasn't helping. Mel held her hands up in defence before turning her head away from the two.

"Yeah...like usual. But, I don't know...things are different now, Kath. I know it's hard to believe, but...you gotta believe me." He said.

Kathy didn't say anything; with unsure at all what to say, or unable to say anything. She turned her head away from him. Her gaze found that of her reflection in the mirror. Perhaps that girl would be able to tell her what to do.

"And I hope you'll give me a chance to explain to you. I know you don't want to listen to me talking...so maybe you could listen to this instead." Two-Bit said.

That caught her attention. She turned to face him once more only to find him leaning against the tree outside her window, with Melody beside him...and her guitar.

"Fair warning," two-bit said. "You know better than anyone that I don't have the greatest voice...but hey."

Kathy sighed to herself as she leaned against the window sill. Mel sat down and started playing a tune on her guitar. Kathy couldn't help but notice that it was beautiful, as was most of Mel's work. Two-bit glanced up at her for a second; pleading with her to stay long enough to hear what he had to say.

_I'm not a perfect person  
__There's many things I wish I didn't do  
__But I continue learning  
__I never meant to do those things to you  
__And so I have to say before I go  
__That I just want you to know  
__  
I've found a reason for me  
__To change who I used to be  
__A reason to start over new  
__And the reason is you  
__  
I'm sorry that I hurt you  
__It's something I must live with every day  
__And all the pain I put you through  
__I wish that I could take it all away  
__And be the one who catches all your tears  
__That's why I need you to hear_

_I've found a reason for me  
__To change who I used to be  
__A reason to start over new  
__And the reason is you  
__  
And the reason is you  
__And the reason is you  
__And the reason is you_

_I'm not a perfect person  
__I never meant to do those things to you  
__And so I have to say before I go  
__That I just want you to know_

_I've found a reason for me  
__To change who I used to be  
__A reason to start over new  
__And the reason is you_

_I've found a reason to show  
A side of me you didn't know  
A reason for all that I do  
And the reason is you_

As they finished the song, they were met with silence. Two-Bit looked up at the window, and was saddened to find that Kathy was no longer standing there. He sighed to himself in defeat. He was sure that it would have worked...better than that anyway. Their plan had failed, and Two-Bit was sure that there was no way that Kathy was going to forgive him now.

He let his head drop, as he tried to think of what to do next. He felt Mel slip her hand into his and squeeze it reassuringly. He didn't bother looking at her as Mel tried to comfort him; he felt no use in doing so.

"Hey, it'll be okay." Mel assured him. Two-Bit sniffed a little; trying, and failing not to show any weakness.

"How?" he asked feebly. But before Mel could come up with an answer, she was interrupted by a voice behind them.

"So..."

The two turned around and saw Kathy leaning against the side of the house; arms crossed over her chest. How long she had been standing there, they didn't know. But honestly...they didn't care either. It was then that Two-Bit was able to have a full look at her. He soon realised that the window did not do her justice. Seeing her there in front of him...

"You wrote that?" she asked. Two-Bit rubbed the back of his neck nervously and nodded.

"Uhh...yeah."

"For me?"

"Well, Mel did the music...but yeah." Two-Bit said.

"...Why?"

Two-Bit was dumbfounded by the question. He was kinda expecting her to tell him to leave and that would be it. That's the outcome he was ready for. Now that it was different...he really didn't know what to say.

"Well, you wanted to talk, so talk." Kathy said. Mel felt a sense of déjà vu at that moment, having uttered similar words to him a few days before.

"You're giving me a chance to talk?" Two-Bit wondered.

"Sure seems that way." Kathy retorted.

"I think I'm gonna leave you guys to it." Mel said, picking up her guitar. She gave Two-Bit's hand one more squeeze before smiling at Kathy and starting on her way back to the house.

Two-Bit watched his friend leave as he realised he was now on his own. If he was going to try and make things better, then he would have to do it now and all on his own.

"Just say what you have to say." Kathy said, breaking the silence. Two-Bit looked up at her and sighed.

"What do you want me to say? Do you want me to apologise?"

"That might be a nice way to start."

"You won't forgive me, so why bother. I could apologise until the day I die and it wouldn't change that fact. But it's true. I am sorry. No matter how many times I say it, or however much I mean it, it will never be enough.

"You know me Kathy, you know me better than almost everyone...you should have know there was going to be a reaction like that." Two-Bit explained.

"I didn't want you to find out like that." Kathy said quietly. Two-Bit nodded his head.

"I know. But I did...so it doesn't matter anymore.

"I'm ashamed of the way I reacted. But can you really blame me? Yeah, it was extreme, but I was scared. A guy who can't even take care of himself; can't even graduate from high school right, finds out that his girlfriend is pregnant and that they're going to become parents at nineteen. Yeah, I was scared. Yeah, I ran and yeah I proved to everyone that I don't have what it takes to be a father to this kid."

"Two-Bit..."

"No, it's true. I found myself thinking about how I turned out. That's not the kind of life a kid should have. I don't want that for my kid. I know my mom tried to raise me the best she could...and I'm grateful for that. I know I don't always show it...hell, I never do. But I am. And probably the only other good thing in my life is the gang...and you.

"I proved that I don't deserve you. I ran when you needed me the most. I should have been there with you from the start; taking you to the doctor and shopping and all that. We should have been excited; planning and all. It's one thing that I'll regret for the rest of my life." Two-Bit said.

"So what you're saying now is that you've had a complete change of heart? Cause I'm sorry but that's complete bullshit. Nobody can change that fast." Kathy wondered.

"No. I'm still scared... I'm goddamn petrified. But...I don't know. I can't explain it."

"I'm sure you can try." she said dryly.

"I was at the house, that day when Sodapop gave my mom the sonogram picture. I saw it and just...I can't explain how I felt. Something that tiny...I helped make it, you know? You and me. Mel said that it was my TLC instincts kicking in. And at that moment, I kinda felt like, for a moment, I might be able to do this; that I wanted to be able to."

"And now? What do you want?" Kathy asked. No matter the response...she needed to know.

"First off, I want you. I know I don't deserve you, Kathy. But I need you...you and this kid. This kid needs a family. A whole family...something that neither one of us really had. So whad'ya say?"

Kathy looked up at him and sighed.

"Are you crazy or something?" she wondered. Two-Bit couldn't help but chuckle a little; remembering the repeated phrase the night they met. The night he first fell in love with her. Two-Bit got up from the ground and walked over to her, leaning against the house beside her.

"I'm crazy for you." He said sincerely. "And don't say that I don't know you...because I do. And you and I both know, deep down...you were once crazy about me too.

Kathy was silent. She wanted nothing more than to scream at him, or hit him...preferably both. But she couldn't. She had no idea why, she just...couldn't.

"I kinda thought you'd be yelling at me by this point." Two-Bit said, laughing lightly. Kathy shook her head.

"I'm way past yelling, Two-Bit." She said. "Believe me, I want to, so badly...but I can't."

Two-Bit nodded his head. Kathy sighed and rubbed her stomach to keep her occupied.

"I'm not as quick to forgive as Melody. I can't be. Pretty words and heartfelt apologies can only go so far. You hurt me, badly, and that's going to take a lot to get over." She said.

"I know that." Two-Bit said quietly.

"It's not going to be the same...not just yet. But...of we work on it, it could get there eventually." Kathy said. "But...I need you to be completely honest with me now."

"Of course."

"I need you. If you're willing to do this, like you say you are, you're in this for the long run. No, backing out after a few months or a few years...this is for good. Can I trust you to stay?" Kathy wondered, almost begging.

Two-Bit sighed and looked her right in the eyes, before he nodded his head. There was no doubt, or defiance, or hesitation about it. Kathy let out a deep sigh of relief, as she started to feel the tears beginning.

"You okay?" Two-Bit asked worriedly. Kathy nodded and wiped her eyes.

"Yeah, it's these...stupid hormones." She said. Two-Bit nodded in understanding.

The two were silent once again, only this time; it was without the tension in the air. Two-Bit, tentatively reached down and gently took her hand in his, trying not to overstep the boundaries within the first two minutes. To his surprise, however, Kathy held onto his hand tightly in response.

She looked up at him with sad eyes, only to find him looking right back at her. Cautiously, he held his arms out, in more of a friendly gesture then a romantic one. Kathy couldn't help but laugh slightly. He would do the same thing when they had had a fight or she was upset.

Slowly, she walked towards him, and wrapped her arms around him. Two-Bit sighed in relief as he returned the embrace, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Although, there was more of a gap between them since the last time they had hugged.

"I'm scared." Kathy whispered. "I'm so scared that I'm going to screw this up."

"You know what...you probably will." Two-Bit said. "And I'll be right there to screw it up with you. Then we'll pick it all up and put it together before screwing it up again."

Kathy turned her head to face him with a look of both surprise and confusion.

"You know, that's probably the most profound thing I've ever heard you say." She said. Two-Bit merely grinned and shrugged his shoulders. He knew that it was not the time for a wise remark of any kind.

Before two long however, the moment was interrupted by a sudden movement coming from Kathy's stomach. Two-Bit jumped back a little in surprise, causing Kathy to laugh.

"I think someone was trying to say hello." She said. Two-Bit looked at her as if she were completely crazy. But Kathy simply rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, placing it on her stomach. Two-Bit waited patiently so a sign before finally, the baby kicked again.

"Holy shit, there really is something in there." He said with a mixture of shock and awe. Kathy could only laugh at his comment; typical Two-Bit,

"They know their daddy." She said softly. "You know...you can talk to them if you want." Two-Bit looked up at her; his eyes silently asking her a question. With a smile, Kathy nodded and watched in adoration as Two-Bit knelt down beside her stomach.

"Hey there little one...I...well, I'm your daddy." He said. Kathy could feel the tears start to well up again. It was the hormones...that's what she kept telling herself.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around these past few months. But don't you worry...I'm gonna be here from now on...I promise. Now be good and don't give your mama a hard time."

Kathy sighed. It was going to be a long road. But she knew, deep down...they were going to make it.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"You did not!"

"Did too!"

"You did not!"

"Did too!"

Melody sighed to herself as she heard the banter going back and forth in the living room. She was in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on a chocolate cake, while the others were lounging around in the living room. It was almost a full house, for the first time in months. And at that moment, it seemed as though things were starting to get back to normal.

The sound of the bathroom door opening caused her attention to be pulled away from the cooling cake and over to Kathy who was entering the room.

"You okay?" she asked. Kathy nodded.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm getting used to it, believe it or not. But I think it's starting to ease up a little." She said as she headed back into the living room. "One good thing about this...I brush my teeth about 5 times a day. Think of the winning smile I'll have after this."

"Seriously Kath, I don't know how you can stand being sick all the time, like that." Ponyboy said from his spot on the floor.

"It's a Matthews; it's bound to make her sick." Steve joked, causing everyone to laugh. Even Kathy cracked a grin as she sat back on the couch beside Two-Bit.

"Oh har har har, you're a riot." Two-Bit said, putting his hand on her stomach protectively. A week after their reunion, Two-Bit had kept his promise about being a hands on and protective father-to-be...and Kathy was loving it, even if she didn't tell him that.

But Two-Bit himself soon found himself laughing at Steve's joke. He looked at Kathy and smiled. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her (even after she had just been sick). But they were still in shallow waters, so he simply leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.

At the other end of the room, Sodapop, Steve and Angela were playing with a deck of cards. Well, they were playing with a deck of cards before the usual; Steve accused Soda of cheating and a war broke out. Angie was sitting on the sidelines laughing at their immaturity, and started tossing cards at them when they weren't looking. Finally, they started to calm down a little and Soda started messing around with Two-Bit's harmonica, _trying_ to play something.

Ponyboy and Johnny were on the floor with an extra pack of cards they were able to salvage from the bottom of Melody's closet. While the others found joy in tossing cards at each other and hiding them in their shoes, the boys were concentrating on gaining the winning hand, with almost a whole pack of smokes at stake.

Darry was, as usual, lounging in his arm chair with the day's paper. He wasn't yelling. He wasn't fighting. He was simply relaxing, and didn't mind that he was in the midst of a house fool of rampant teenagers.

"Hey Mel! How's that cake coming along?" Two-Bit called out.

"It'll be done in a minute!" Mel called back.

"Give me that!" Steve said, snatching the harmonica away from Soda, evidently having enough of his futile attempts at making something that resembled a tune.

"Play us something, Stevie." Angie said in an awe-inspired tone. Steve rolled his eyes and thought about what he would play. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head as he started to play a tune.

In the kitchen, Mel stopped icing the cake to hear the song being played. She smiled at its familiarity as she continued her work, singing along quietly.

'_Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue...and the dreams that you dare to dream really to come true...'_

The noise in the living room seemed to die down a little as Steve played the haunting yet beautiful melody.

Walking into the living room, Mel put the freshly iced cake on the coffee table and quickly got out of the way as everyone began digging in.

She stood there, leaning in the doorway, surveying the scene around her. Darry in his armchair with his paper; Ponyboy and Johnny huddled over a quiet game; Steve, and Soda with this battling card etiquette; Angela laughing away at the ridiculousness of it all; and Kathy and Two-Bit, sitting in each other's arms on the couch, back on speaking terms.

Yep, things were definitely almost back to normal.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"One leather jacket; one half packet of cigarettes; one Christopher medallion; one wallet; and one cigarette lighter."

"Yeah yeah. I get it. Can I go now?"

After an assuring nod, he collected his things and got out that door as fast as he could. The air was fresh, and a nice change of pace to what he had unfortunately grown used to. Freedom. He knew where he wanted to do; he knew how to get there. His problem now, was _how_ he was going to get there.

Slinging his jacket on, he lit a smoke, letting the intoxicating fumes fill his lungs. He decided to walk around a little, hopefully hitch a ride to where he was headed. He stuck his thumb out as he went, hoping that some moron would have the common decency to stop and help him out.

After almost half an hour of aimless wandering, some guy in a beat up truck pulled over beside him.

"You headed to Tulsa?" he asked.

"Afraid so." The driver responded. He managed to hide a smirk at the comment.

"Can I catch a ride?"

"It's gonna cost ya. What you got?" the driver wondered.

"About half a pack of cigarettes." He said. The guy in the truck thought about his offer, knowing full well it was the best he was gonna get.

"That'll do. Where you headed?" the driver asked.

"The abandoned lot on the corner of Pickett and Sutton."

The driver nodded and let waited for him to climb into the back of the truck. Yep, after almost three long months, things were starting to get back to normal. He was going home.


	64. Back

**A/N: Well hello lovely people! Here's the first chapter of the book events, finally! YAAY! Not only that...this is the first chapter ever that I am writing as an adult! Haha! Yep, last Saturday I finally turned 18! Might I say...I'm absolutely loving it! Anyways, I'm sorry that I haven't updated as soon as I would have liked, but aside from my birthday, I'm like, 4 weeks away from my final exams for year 12...and I've been going on like 3 hours sleep a day because of all the studying. But don't worry...I won't abandon this at all :) I love this story and you guys too much!**

**So, here it is...I hope it works well and that you all enjoy it. Also, I know that the boys go to the Nightly Double the day after Pony gets jumped, but there were a few things I wanted to add in and I just thought that the gang needed like, at least a few days or normality before their lives get all messed up again, am I right?**

**Soo...yeah. That's about it. Please don't forget, if you have any ideas/suggestions/comments/ or whatnot, please drop me a line and let me know...i feed of comments haha...and I'm kinda struggling at the moment. Thanks again and Enjoy!**

**-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

Looking around at the hick-ass town surrounding him, for some stupid reason that he would most likely deny, Dally felt a little reassurance; something that he hadn't felt in about two months. He knew he was home. But it sure had taken a hell of a long time to get there; having to hitch his way into town and give up most of his cigarettes for a ride. But that didn't matter anymore.

Lighting a cigarette, Dal thought about where to head first. It was late Sunday afternoon, so nobody would be at the school. Ponyboy would probably be at home or something with Johnny; Darry, Steve and Sodapop would be working. And so would she, probably. But then again, she could just be bumming around the house. Dal took a drag of his cancer stick before heading towards the Curtis place.

As he reached the front gate, a sense of familiarity washed over him. This was really the only place that he ever felt at home, and after nearly two months in a dingy cell, it felt good to be back.

He dropped his cigarette butt on the corner of the porch steps, as he usually did, crushing it with the heel of his boot. He noticed that the usual collection of burn marks and ash stains were gone. He chuckled to himself, knowing that Darry would have been kinda glad that he wasn't making a mess of his front porch for a while...something that he would have to fix now that he was back in town.

The first thing that Dal noticed was that the house was unusually quiet, which made Dal feel a bit uneasy. The Curtis house usually had _some_ kind of noise or something. Yelling, music, the television blaring with that god-damned mouse on it or something. He wondered where everyone could be.

"Anyone home?" he called out. It was probably a useless thing to do, it didn't seem like anyone was home at all. Dal scratched the back of his neck, wondering where to go next in hopes of finding someone. He couldn't help but find it a little funny; he knew he wasn't expecting a huge welcome party, nobody knew he was coming home today; but it still would have been nice to have _someone_ to welcome him back after two months.

He decided to head over to the DX and see if anyone was there instead. Just as he was about to shut the door behind him, Dal heard the back door slam shut out the back.

"Hello?" Dal called out again. "Who's there?"

"Dally?" a voice called out. It didn't take Dal very long to recognise the voice. A sense of relief filled him as not a moment later, a familiar blonde stuck her head from the kitchen doorway. Dal smirked as Kathy's eyes lit up in both surprise and happiness.

"Hey Kath." He said, opening his arms out slightly for her. Kathy grinned brightly as she made her way into the living room as quick as she could, into his open arms. Dally couldn't help but notice that she had definitely changed since he had been gone, particularly her stomach.

"Is it just me or is there something between us?" Dally joked. Kathy grinned and moved away from him, still in shock that he was actually there.

"What are you doing here? I thought they said you'd be in for, what, 90 days or something?" she asked.

"They let me off on good behaviour." Dal said smugly. Kathy scoffed.

"You sure they just didn't get sick of seeing your ugly mug around there?" she wondered. Dally laughed a little.

"Yeah, that too." He said, rubbing the back of his neck once more. "Seems like this place hasn't changed in my absence."

"What can I say? Some things never do." Kathy shrugged. Dally nodded and looked her up and down grinning.

"So, look at you, huh?" he said, looking down at her growing stomach. "Guess you really are knocked up, huh."

"You're probably the only one who could get away with that, Winston." Kathy scowled jokingly. Dal merely shrugged, knowing it was the truth. Kathy rolled her eyes and put her hands on her baby bump protectively.

"Yeah, I know. Only four months to go." She said, smiling.

"And how's the wiseass dealing with it all?" Dal wondered, remembered how icy things were when he left. Kathy smiled.

"As excited as I am." She said. Dally was shocked to say the least. He didn't show it, but at that moment, his respect for Two-Bit actually grew a little.

"Well, the moron did grow a pair after all." He laughed. A new voice laughed at his comment, and could be heard coming from the kitchen. Dal raised his eyebrow in question.

"Hey Angie." He called out.

"Hey Dal! Welcome back!" the younger blonde called out.

"Where is everybody?" Dal asked, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I was kinda expecting a welcome home shindig, you know?"

"Let's see...Darry should be on his way home from work, he picked up another shift today; Soda and Steve are at the garage; Pony's out, Two-Bit and Johnny...I have no idea. Angie's here since Tim had to go down to the station with Curly this morning and...She's working at the DX today." Kathy said.

"Today? Where else would she be?" Dally wondered. Kathy sighed and ran her hand through her hair.

"All I'm gonna say is that...things have been more difficult since you left." She said. Dal looked at her confused, yet said nothing; knowing that that would be the only thing he got out of her on the subject.

"Well...what are you still standing here for?" Kathy wondered. Dal rolled his eyes, but grinned as he headed out the front door.

"Thanks Kath." He said. Kathy smiled and shooed him out the door.

"No problem. Now go get your woman, boy." She laughed.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Give up, Mel...it ain't gonna happen." Steve said. Despite the fact she was digging under the hood of a car, she still managed to flip him off without even looking up from the engine.

"I finished that heap of a Camaro in seven twenty. There's no way you can top that." He said. Soda stood in the doorway, watching the banter between his sister and his best friend. Sometimes he wasn't entirely sure whether their competitiveness was a good thing or a bad thing. But having both of them try to fix a car in under ten minutes was proving to be better than TV. Although, he knew Mel would get him back from all the times he kept distracting her.

Steve chuckled to himself, entirely convinced that he had it in the bag thanks to his 'brilliant plan' to distract her. Luckily for him, he only just managed to duck in time to save himself from a wrench-shaped bruise smack bang in the middle of his forehead. Soda couldn't help but laugh as he watched his friend jump off the workbench and head inside the office for his own safety.

"You weren't really trying to hit him...were you?" Soda asked. Mel simply glanced up at her brother and smirked. She sent him a wink, and went straight back to work. Soda just shook his head, not even trying to bother understanding her.

He did, however, notice that she was merely tinkering with the engine; fixing up some last minute jobs rather than actually doing something. He smirked, knowing that she had already beaten Steve at his own game. Not wanting to distract her any further, Sodapop busied himself with pieces of broken engine on the work bench nearby.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Dally was walking up the drive of the DX when he saw her. She was working on a car so she had her back turned from him. It had only been about a couple of months, but she looked different than last time he saw her. Her hair was shorter and was styled differently than he remembered; no longer was it in a braid down her back, but in loose curls half the length it used to be. Dal couldn't help wonder what had caused her to cut her hair, since it was usually something she prided herself on, much like her brothers. Regardless of why, Dal couldn't help but like the new change.

After convincing himself that he was safe from flying wrenches out in the shop, Steve left the safety of the office with a couple of Pepsis in hand and headed to give one to Soda. Out of the corner of his eye he could see a figure making their way towards them.

"Hey, Soda."

Soda turned around expectantly, and saw Steve nodding towards the drive. Following his gaze, he smiled as he saw Dally leaning on one of the gas pumps.

"Hey Mel?" he asked.

"What?"

"Turn around." Soda said.

"Why?" Mel asked, grabbing a wrench from beside her. Nope, she wasn't going to fall for it this time. She had to keep going for at least another minute or two to wipe that stupid smirk of Steve's face.

"Will you just do it?" Steve asked. Mel laughed and shook her head.

"I'm not falling for that again...you really need to come up with something better." she said. Soda sighed in frustration.

"Trust me, you want to turn around this time." Soda said. Mel rolled her eyes, even thought she knew neither of them could see her. She was practically done, but she wanted to make sure everything was fixed.

"I guess the car's more important than her own boyfriend." a familiar voice said. She stopped instantly as the wrench in her hand fell to the ground with a _clank! _

That was one voice she was definitely not expecting to hear. Part of her couldn't help but wonder if turned around and saw Dally standing there smirking at her.

"Hi." He said simply.

Mel could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She felt as though her feet were cemented to the ground. She smiled brightly...he was really there. After nearly three long months...he was back. Mel's smile widened as she picked up her feet and an over to him, into his awaiting arms. Dally laughed and picked her up, spinning her around and rested his forehead against hers.

"I'm covered in car grease." Mel pointed out. Dal merely smirked and rolled his eyes.

"Nearly three months and the first thing you say to me is 'I'm covered in car grease'...very nice, kid." he retorted. "But do I honestly look like I give a shit?" he asked. Mel smiled and shook her head.

"Yeah I didn't think so." Dal said. "Now come here..."

Mel grinned. Who was she to refuse him? She tightened her grip around his neck and kissed him. The sparks that she had felt the very first time she kissed him were back in an instant, as cliché as that sounds. Mel then made a vow to herself never to go that long without kissing him again.

"Gee kid, people would think that you were pleased to see me or something." Dal joked once they parted. Mel rolled her eyes and laughed. Dal picked up a strand of her hair and started playing with it.

"You cut your hair." He noticed. Mel nodded shyly.

"Yeah, well Angie did it. I was drunk...and I kinda thought it was time for a change." She said.

"I like it." Dal grinned. Mel smiled and kissed him. A polite cough could be heard behind them. The two broke apart and saw Soda and Steve smiling at them.

"Mel, get your stuff and get outta here." Soda said.

"Really?" Mel asked. Her sighed jokingly twin nodded his head.

"Yeah, we've got everything covered and were gonna close up soon anyway."

Mel smiled at her brother and ran to get her stuff from inside. When she returned, she found the three boys mid-conversation by the gas pumps.

"Ready to go?" she asked Dal, wrapping her arm around his waist. He nodded and the two turned to head home. Before they got to the end of the drive, Melody stopped and turned back to face the other two.

"Hey Steve?" she called out. Both her brother and Steve turned around to face her. Mel tried, yet miserably failed to hide the smirk from her face.

"Five forty two." She called out, before rejoining Dal and starting on their way home. The last thing they could hear as they walked down the street, was Soda's hysterical laughter and Steve's impressive string of cursing.

oOoOoOoOoOo

As they walked, Dally noticed that it wasn't just Mel's hair that had changed. For as long as he had known her, Mel was never into make-up and other crap like that. She only wore it when Kathy made her, or for big events. But now, he saw that she was wearing some colour on her eyes and cheeks, and as well as a little on her lips.

"What's with all this?" Dal wondered, indicating to her hair and face. Melody looked at him and shrugged.

"I don't know. Kathy's been kinda bored since she left work. There's been a lot of 'let's turn Mel into a Barbie doll', and I guess she's rubbed off on me." she said. "I feel like an idiot wearing it."

"Well, you sure as hell don't look like an idiot." Dal grinned, looking her up and down once more.

"Of course you would say something like that." She mumbled. Dal shrugged innocently.

"Anyway, what's been happening since I left?" He wondered. "Kathy kinda filled me in a little before."

"You saw Kathy?" Mel asked. Dally nodded.

"Yeah, I headed over to your house, but you weren't there. I was gonna leave but then she and Angie came in and she told me where you would be." He said. "She also told me how Two-Bit's shaped up a little about the whole baby thing."

"Yeah, he's cleaned up a fair bit...not entirely, but hey, it's only been two months." Mel said. Dal nodded. "I didn't speak to him for about a month though."

"Wait...what?" Dal asked. Mel sniffed and nodded.

"Yeah, the day you left...after I left the station trying to see you...i went to confront him." She said.

"And?"

"Long story short; we had a huge fight, screaming, yelling, I think I slapped him too. Some really bad stuff was said on both parts. Basically I thought our friendship was over...and it was for a good while too." Mel explained.

"And now?" Dal wondered.

"Now everything's back to normal." Mel smiled. Dal nodded. The two walked in silence for a little while. Mel knew that she would have to explain things in entirety at some point. But right at that moment, she knew it wasn't really the time nor the place. So the simplified version would have to do for now.

"I took a second job." Mel said.

"You did?" Dal wondered. Perhaps this was what Kathy was talking about earlier about things being more difficult. Mel nodded her head and kicked a stone along the path.

"Yeah. I now waitress down at the Dingo two or three nights a week. We needed the money." She said. Dally remained quiet, but nodded both in understanding and letting her continue.

"So now between school, studying, working at the DX, the dingo and being at home, I have no life. But hey, it means there's more money coming in." Mel said, trying to sound positive.

Dal didn't know what to say. He simply nodded once more. He hated the fact that she was tiring herself out just so her family could get by...they all did it. Even if it was a weak thought, he couldn't help but feel angry at the unfairness of it all.

Silence fell upon the two of them once more. The only sound that could be heard at all was the distant sound of cars passing by miles away or the tiny stone being kicked across the pavement.

"I, uhh... I got your note." Mel said quietly. Dal looked at her for a moment before looking at the ground as they walked.

"Oh yeah?" he said lamely. Mel nodded her head silently. Dally sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He was torn. He wanted to explain to her why it happened the way it did. But he knew he was once again risking sounding like a complete sissy doing so. But then again...with her, when has that ever stopped him. Something that she had said to him a long, long time ago ran though his mind; how he didn't have to be Dallas Winston with her...just simply Dallas.

"I'm sorry." He said. "When I left the house, I was just heading to Johnny's, for like half an hour before I came back. But then the cops found me and hauled me in, askin' about the windows and all that shit at the school."

"Why would they think it was you? You don't even go to school there." Mel wondered, more to herself than anything.

"The photo." Dal said. Mel nodded her head, remembering that the cops had found a picture of her and Dal at the scene.

"Besides, those morons think they know me. If anything happens in this hick-ass town I'm the one to blame for it." Dal said. "But the more they talked, I knew they were talking about Two-Bit. And with all the crap between him and Kathy...they needed to sort all that shit out... I dunno, I guess I just thought 'better me than him'."

Mel couldn't say anything. She knew that Dal would rather be locked up than hand one of his buddies over to the fuzz. And she couldn't help admire his reasoning to some point. But it still didn't make it hurt any less.

"I'm sorry, kid." He said. "I know I told ya that I'd try to stay out...but...you know, right?"

Mel still said nothing as they continued walking. Dal looked at her worriedly for a minute.

"You gonna say something or what?" he asked, trying to mask his nervousness. Melody being quiet was usually never a good sign.

"You just have to be so goddamn loyal, don't ya?" she asked, laughing a little. Dally shrugged his shoulders. "I know why you did it...and I love you for it. But it's just so hard, sometimes."

"I know." Dal said. And he did. . He couldn't imagine what she went through seeing him being hauled in all the time. He missed her like crazy when he went away, but he knew it must have been a lot harder for her.

"I mean, you know I'll always be here waiting for you. But that's the thing, I hate waiting. It's so hard to go a long time without you Dal. I mean, it was bad before, but now we're together... it hurts. More than usual."

Dally sighed and wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing her closer to him.

"I meant what I said on New Years, even if I couldn't keep it." He said. Mel smiled and rested her head against his shoulder.

"You know I'm not asking you to stop everything," Mel joked. "I mean, you wouldn't be the no-good greasy hood that I love if you didn't. But maybe just cut back on visits to the station, okay? At least don't go trying to piss off the fuzz. Just try…for me."

"Yeah babe. I can't guarantee that it'll happen but I'll try." Dal said sincerely.

"That's all I'm asking." Mel said. She knew it was a hard thing for him to promise. He loved fighting and getting a kick out of police action a lot. But to hear him say that he would honestly try, Mel felt a sense of pride and love for him, knowing that he was willing to try and change a little for her.

They were only about a block from her house now, and Mel for one could not be happier. There was nothing she was looking forward to just kicking back...and spending more time with Dal. After all, they had nearly three months to catch up on.

However, she was pulled out of her thoughts by a sickening yell. A voice that sent complete shivers down both their spines.

"Darry! Soda! Mel!"

It didn't take either of them to recognise the voice. Melody's face paled instantly. As she broke out into a run down the street. Dally was quick on her trail and ran after her. Out of the corner of her eye, Mel could see a red corvair parked in the middle of the street. It didn't take a genius to figure out who it belonged to.

The sounds of footsteps came from all directions as they made their way down the street. From out of nowhere, the guys came running from every direction to chase the bastards away.

When they saw the gang coming towards them, the Socs got up and left Ponyboy to run to their car in a bid to escape. But no such luck. Soda, Steve and Two-Bit chased after them and started pulling them from the car, punching them repeatedly.

Two-Bit screamed as he pulled one of them away from the car, but the Soc just kicked him to the ground and tried to get back in the car. But Two-Bit simply jumped up and ran to the car as Steve tried to pull one of them out the window and Soda jumped along the hood of their car to attack the driver.

Melody and Dal ran past Darry and Johnny, who were keeping to the side, and raced over as fast as they could before the corvair tried to drive away. The guys were all every window to the car, pulling and punching the Socs to the point where it looked as though Steve or Two-Bit was going to be pulled through the window.

"You son of a bitch!" Soda yelled, punching the driver through the window.

Finally, the corvair managed to pull away from the guys and try to take off down the road, but that didn't stop the guys. The four of them, plus Mel, chased after the car, kicking the hell out of it and screaming every possible curse under the sun. Dally found a big stick on the side of the road and tossed it at the car, just barely missing the rear window.

"We'll get you later Greasers!" The driver yelled, as they sped down the road, shouting abuse at the others.

"Like to see you try, asshole!" Mel shouted out.

Finally, the car was one of sight, yet the gang were still glaring in its direction. It was then they remembered what happened, and made their way over to where Pony was still lying on the ground; eyes shut, and groaning a little.

Both Melody and Soda got down on their knees by their little brother and tried to help him sit up. The others watched on, hoping that he was gonna be okay.

"Are you all right, Ponyboy?" Darry asked, bending down and shaking him a little. The others knew it was with good intentions, but it still didn't help the situation. The poor kid was still dazed and shaken up; the last think he needed was Darry shaking the living daylights outta him.

"I'm okay. Quit shaking me, Darry, I'm okay." Ponyboy insisted.

"I'm sorry." Darry said, jamming his fists in his pockets and returning to full-height. "They didn't hurt you too bad, did they?"

Pony was quiet for a moment, debating about whether or not to tell the truth.

"I'm okay." Pony lied. But the twins shared a look. They knew he wasn't telling the honest truth. He was still shaking something fierce and when he tried to move, he kept wincing.

"You okay Ponyboy?" Soda asked, pulling his handkerchief out of his pocket. Pony nodded his head silently. Melody cocked her head to the side and grabbed her little brother's chin and turned his head.

"Did they pull a blade on you?" she asked, completely horrified. Ponyboy sighed.

"Yeah." he said, on the verge of tears. He tried to hide his face, but she wouldn't let him. Instead, she wrapped her arm around him and let him rest his head on her shoulder. She looked at the others with angry eyes and swore under her breath as she ran her hand through his hair comfortingly.

"Hey, easy baby. They're not gonna hurt you no more." she said soothingly. Ponyboy nodded as Soda wet the end of the handkerchief with his tongue, and pressed it gently against the side of his head.

"I know, I'm just a little spooked, that's all." Pony said, wiping his eyes. Soda grinned and ruffled his little brother's hair.

"You're an okay kid, Pony." He said. For some reason, that made Pony smile.

"You're crazy, Soda, out of your mind." He said, grinning even more. Soda simply shrugged. At the sight of her siblings grinning, Mel couldn't help but join in. Darry looked at the three of them in disbelief.

"You're all nuts. All three of ya." He said. Soda cocked one eyebrow and looked at his brother with a smug-like expression.

"It seems to run in the family." He exclaimed. The comment caused both Mel and Pony to grinn even more. Even Darry cracked a small grin, if only for a moment. The twins helped Pony to his feet and dusted him off a little as the others made their way over.

"Didya catch 'em?" Pony wondered.

"Nup." Two-Bit said, speaking up for the first time. "They got away this time, the dirty..." he then went on cheerfully, calling the Socs every name he could think of or make up.

"Hey, you better watch your mouth soon. You gotta clean that up before mini grease gets here." Mel said. Two-Bit merely shrugged and turned to face Pony.

"Nice-lookin' bruise you got there, kid." He said.

"Really?"

Two-Bit nodded sagely. "Nice cut, too. Makes you look tough."

"You were walking by yourself again, you don't ever think." Darry said, sounding like a broken record. The twins rolled their eyes as they all started walking towards the house.

"All I did was walk home from the movies." Ponyboy said in his defense. Darry sighed.

"Movies and books. Movies and books. You know, I wish that you could concentrate on something else for once in a while. he said.

"Dar, come on." Mel said. None of them were really in the mood to hear his long-winded speech again, least of all Ponyboy.

"Why don't you concentrate on girls and cars...works for me." Soda grinned.

"I didn't think…"

"You never thinK. Not at home, or anywhere it counts, do ya?" Darry said.

"Dar…" Soda warned. But Darry ignored him.

"Look, if you had to go by yourself you should have carried a blade." He said.

"Jesus Darry, just lay off a little will ya?" Melody said, finally having enough. "It ain't his fault! Carryin' a blade would have been a great excuse for those punks to cut him up some more there."

The others waited with baited breath to see if Darry would yell back at her, or something else for that matter. But he knew better. He simply glared and pointed his finger at her.

"Hey if I want my kid sister telling me what to do with my kid brother, I'll ask you, Alright?" Darry said.

He looked at the three of them before sighing and heading back into the house. Melody sighed and ran her hand through her hair. She saw the guys heading back over and walked over to Dal, who was sitting on one of the busted up cars parked nearby. Ponyboy looked at his older brother walking off.

"Geez Soda, why's he always gotta be like that?" He asked. Soda looked at Darry sadly before turned back to his little brother.

"He's just got more worries than he used to." Soda said.

"What the hell happened?" Kathy asked from the porch steps. "All I hear is a loud commotion coming from out here and Darry storming in like, well I don't know what."

"Socs." Two-Bit said, nodding over to Ponyboy. Kathy looked at him in disbelief before looking at Pony. She sent him a look; silently asking him if he was alright. After a confirming nod from the younger greaser, Kathy disappeared back into the house.

"Next time get one of us to go with you, Ponyboy," Two-Bit said. "Any of us will."

Ponyboy nodded silently.

"How's the kid?" Dally asked. He draped his arm around Mel's waist before they walked over to them. Steve sighed and pulled up the collar on his shirt as he pushed past Mel and Dally.

"I'm fine." Ponyboy said, surprised to see him there. "What are you doing out of the cooler Dal?"

"Yeah, and what are you doing walking by your lonesome out on the streets huh?" Steve interrupted. Ponyboy rolled his eyes, not really in the mood for putting up with Steve at that particular moment.

"None of your business smarty." Ponyboy said. Two-Bit and Johnny walked over and shook Dally's hand.

"'Jesus. These two." Dal said, pointing to Steve and Ponyboy arguing. Both Mel and Two-Bit nodded their heads sadly. "I thought they'd stop it. Nothing changes."

"What do you mean none of my business, it is my business." Steve said as Soda tried to pull him away "Look at my nose!" he said, indicating to the blood that stained his nose and face.

"It's huge." Ponyboy replied. The others couldn't help cracking a grin at that one. Except for Steve that is. He was about to come back with some smartass remark, but Soda stopped him.

"Smartass. he is a smartass kid." He mumbled. Soda merely shook his head and tried to calm his friend down. Two-Bit tried to contribute in his own way by offering him a beer, but Steve shoved it right in his face. Steve flinched back and pushed his hand away as he turned to Dally.

"Hey Dally, how you doin?" he asked, not having the chance to say a proper hello back at the DX. Dally handed his smoke to Mel and shook his hand.

"I'm doin' alright." Dally said.

"I thought you were in for about ninety days, Dal?" Pony wondered.

"Yeah, I got out early man. Good behavior, you know?" Dal said. Just as she did before, Mel snorted and rolled her eyes. Dally grinned at her and looked over past Soda, where Johnny was standing.

"Hey Johhny man. How's it going?" Dally asked. Johnny shrugged as they all started heading down the street.

"Things'd be going a lot better if the Socs stayed on the south side of town man." he said. Dally nodded his head, but he wasn't happy about it.

"Hey, don't you worry about that, Johnny cause we're gonna have it out with them sooner or later." Steve vowed.

"Sure as hell are if they keep coming over to our side of town." Soda said.

"Damn right." Steve said. "Second time this month, too."

"Second?" Dally wondered. Mel threw a look to Steve, telling him to be quiet, but it didn't go unnoticed by Dal.

"It was nothing." She insisted, glaring at Steve. Dally looked as though he wanted to protest, but he could wait until later.

They all stopped walking as Dally turned to face Johnny. Steve and Soda moved to the back of the group as Soda checked out the damage done to Steve's nose.

"Are those the same guys that got you?" he asked.

"No, they were other guys." Johnny said.

"Now that I'm out, I'm gonna make it my business to get the guy that did that to your face." Dally asked.

"Hey, I was thinking how bout you and Mel come on over to the game with us tomorrow night, Dal?" Steve asked.

"I'll go." Ponyboy said.

"Oh, we're taking Evie and Sandy." Soda said, sending his little brother a sympathetic smile. Melody rolled her eyes, she was definitely not in the mood to see Evie and Sandy.

"Yeah, meaning no kids allowed." Steve said coldly. Ponyboy shrugged it off and ignored the cold stare he was getting from Steve.

"Big deal." he said, as if he didn't care at all. Melody turned to face Dally and whispered something.

"Nah, we're just gonna hang out tomorrow." Dally told Steve. Steve and Soda nodded and walked over to one of the cars on the side of the road, talking about the next night.

"But speaking of movies before, anyone up for the Nightly Double?" Dally asked.

"We'll go with you, won't we Pony?" Johnny said. Ponyboy shrugged.

"I don't know, Dal." he said. "I can't get into any trouble with the cops. And Darry won't let me out on a school night."

"Who's looking for any police action?" Dally wondered. "It's only Sunday now, maybe Friday night, we could go see a movie, just like the good-old days, right kid?"

"Yeah. Come on Pony, you know we wouldn't get you into any trouble." Mel said.

"The kid's right." Dally said.

"So, six o'clock?" Soda wondered, jumping off the car. Steve nodded and high-fived Soda.

"Kathy's gonna be spending the day with my Mom doing baby stuff. I gotta go pick up some stuff from store then was planning on putting down a couple six packs of Bud. If I don't get too drunk I'll come over and join you all." Two-Bit said. Melody smiled and shook her head.

"Geez, you're gonna be a great role model for your kid, ain't ya?" she said sarcastically.

The truth was, Two-Bit was really shaping up lately. He had cut down on a lot of his drinking…still had a couple a day, but it was better than before. And when Kathy was out or spending time with her brother or Lynn, Two-Bit was able to go out just like he used to. It worked out for everyone involved.

"Yeah, the kid's first words will either be Mickey or Bud." Ponyboy laughed. Mel rolled her eyes and turned towards her twin.

"Hey Sodiepop!" she called out. "Come on!" Soda laughed and said goodbye to Steve as he slipped off the top of the car. Steve gave him a friendly punch as Soda started walking over to them when he called him back.

"Hey, check this out, Buddy." he said as he jumped up on top of the car. He jumped and did a somersault off the top of the car, but forgot to perfect his landing and fell flat on his face.

The others burst out laughing as Steve got back up, rubbing his head. He grinned and ran off towards his house. Controlling their laughter, the remainder of the group walked back to the house. Two-Bit's car was parked around the side of the house.

"Hey Kathy!" Two-Bit called out, honking the horn of his car. "Let's hit the road!"

"I'm coming! Jesus Christ." Kathy said grabbing her bag as she headed outside. Soda ran over to the porch and helped her down the steps.

"You want me to go faster? Then you tell that to your kid who enjoys using me as a punching bag." She said. He merely grinned and helped her climb into the passenger seat of the car.

"You guys wanna give us a push start?" Two-Bit wondered, getting into his car. The others rolled their eyes.

"Not really but we will." Ponyboy said. Sodapop headed inside and Dally stood on the lawn as Pony, Johnny and Mel got behind the car.

"Oh don't worry, we've got it." Mel called out. "We don't need a hand."

"That's why I'm here and not there." Dally grinned. Melody was about to say some smart comment when Two-Bit called out.

"Alright, let's go!" he shouted. The three behind the car started pushing as hard as they could, moving the car while Two-Bit fumbled at the front. Finally he got it going and beeped the horn as the others pulled away.

"See you guys later." he called out, waving goodbye as he drove down the street. Melody coughed as she fanned the exhaust fumes away from her face.

"Great, I'm gonna have to fix that exhaust again." she said.

"That can't be good for the baby, can it?" Soda asked, appearing back by his sister's side.

"Naww, always caring, ain't you Sodiepop?" Mel said, pinching his cheek. Soda swatted his sister's hand away before shrugging as the three of them walked back to the house where Dally was waiting.

"Thanks for the help, babe." Mel said sarcastically, lightly nudging Dally's side. He grinned and wrapped his arm around her. They made their way up the front steps and headed inside.

"You going home, Johnnycake?" Ponyboy asked. Johnny sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know." he said. Ponyboy nodded his head. He was about to reply, but was cut off by Darry sticking his head outside the front door.

"Hey Ponyboy, you've got homework due tomorrow." he said. Ponyboy sighed and turned to face Johnny.

"I'll see you around." he said, heading inside. Johnny nodded and lit up a cigarette before heading towards the vacant lot.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Later that night, when everyone else was trying to sleep, Mel and Dal were lying in bed, enjoying the fact that they were together again. Mel sighed contently, resting her head on his bare chest while he absentmindedly played with her hair.

"I'm so glad you're home." Mel said, cuddling closer to him. Dal smiled and wrapped his arms around her tighter.

"Me too." He said. A comfortable silence fell around the two. The sound of his heartbeat was soothing to Mel, as she felt her eyes flutter, bordering between sleep and awake.

"So…are you gonna tell me what Steve was talking about today?" Dal asked suddenly. Mel stiffened. Thinking fast, she kept her eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. Silence.

"You ain't fooling me with that bullshit…I know you're awake, kid." Dally sighed. Mel sighed and looked up at him, resting her chin on his chest.

"What do you wanna know?" she asked.

"Did someone else get jumped?" Dally wondered.

"…Yes." Melody said finally. Dally nodded stiffly.

"Who was it?" he asked. Mel looked away, refusing to look at him. The last thing she wanted was to have him beat himself up about not being there to stop it or help her.

"Melody…" he warned. Mel sighed deeply to himself and looked up at him. Dal looked at her confused for a moment before he realized what she meant.

"No…"

"Dal, don't…" Mel started.

"Don't what? Don't get mad? You got jumped!" Dal exclaimed. Mel jumped up and covered his mouth with her hand.

"Will you keep your voice down, everyone's asleep!" Mel shushed him. Dal rolled his eyes and moved her hand away, looking at her expectantly as he waited to hear an explanation.

"What happened?" he asked. Mel sighed ran her hand through her hair.

"I was walking home from work after a really bad day; I was still fighting with Two-Bit, things were difficult at home…you weren't here…it was a mess. So anyway, I was walking hhhome from the Dingo and a car-full of Socs started following me. I ran when they started chasing me and they cornered me in an alley. I tripped and bruised my wrist then…"

"Then?" Dally pushed, automatically fearing the worst.

"Two-Bit came." Mel said. "He fought them off."

"He did?" Dal wondered. Mel nodded.

"Granted he ran off before I could recognize him and I didn't find out it was him til after he came back later with my guitar…" she explained.

"What?"

"Never mind. The point is yes I got jumped, yes I'm fine, no you don't have to do anything about it." Mel said. Dal sighed and looked like he wanted to protest, but he didn't.

"I know what you're thinking." Mel said. "You're pissed cause you weren't there and now you wanna find them…but you can't and you can't beat yourself up about not being there, so this is the last we're ever gonna talk about this, okay?"

"Whatever." Dal mumbled. Mel couldn't help but grin at his typical response. She settled back down against his chest once more.

Once again, silence fell upon the two. For a while, Mel thought that he had fallen asleep.

"Let's get away" he said suddenly.

"Sure Dal." Mel smiled, dismissing the thought.

"I'm serious." Dal said. Mel opened her eyes and sat up in surprise.

"What?" she asked, confused. Was he serious?

"Let's go away. Seriously. Just pack up our shit and go." Dal repeated.

"Where?" Mel wondered. Dal shrugged.

"I don't know…some place in the country maybe. Anywhere away from goddamn Socs and assholes like that."

"You're really serious about this aren't you?" Mel asked in shock. Dally looked at her. Mel looked for the slightest hint of humor on his face…but she found nothing.

She had been rendered speechless. Here he was; Dallas Winston of all people, asking her to run away somewhere together. What had gotten into him to prompt something like this? She shook her head.

"We can't." She said finally.

"Give me one good reason why we can't." Dal pushed. Mel looked at him in disbelief as she sat up.

"I'll give you several reasons why not; our whole lives are here Dal! School, work, our friends, our family…we can't just leave." Mel said.

"Can't or won't?" Dal questioned. Mel turned her head to look at him.

"I never said that." She said.

"Come on babe, we can…we will. We can just pack up everything…in fact, let's just go now. Just you and me…that little place in the country…come on."

It was almost as if he was pleading for her to leave with him, and Melody was ultimately torn. Part of her wanted nothing more than to leave with him; to go somewhere far away and start a new life together, no matter how crazy it was. But another, and larger part of her knew that she could never just up and leave everything that she's ever known. She couldn't do that to their friends…to her brothers. Not when everything was so crazy at home; she can't leave Ponyboy, or Kathy with the baby.

"Dal…think this through properly." She said.

"You don't want to…I get it." Dal said quietly.

"That's not true." Mel said. He looked over at her in complete confusion.

"I can't leave my brothers…not just yet. Everything is just so crazy at the moment…I can't. They would never forgive me…and I'd never forgive myself." She said. Dal nodded in understanding.

"But…Just…let me think about it?" Mel asked. "Give me that at least?"

Dally looked at her for a long while before nodding his head. Mel smiled in relief as the two of them settled down to go to sleep. Soon enough, a light snoring filled the room as Dal fell straight to sleep. Melody, on the other hand, couldn't fall asleep straight away…not after what they just talked about.

What had made him all of a sudden think of something like that? Why now?...and why was she considering it?

It didn't make sense to her. Perhaps in the morning, Dallas might be able to shed some light on his rather drastic proposal.

**A/N2: Well…that was certainly different. I know Dal seems ooc in this, but many reviewers have told me that they like it and it works, and so do I. So…what's prompted Dal to want to run away? If you guys have ideas, please let me know :) This chapter was going to be longer but the rest I'll just put into the next. Stay tuned! x **


	65. Unexpected

**A/N: Hello everyone! Well, I didn't think I would get this chapter out so soon but I've been writing in the breaks between my exams so I thought I would post this until I get the chance to write some more. I've just recently finished high school finally! YAAAY! And am one exam away from really being done; I have my final exam on Monday so wish me luck! So yeah, in between studying and all that I've been trying to write but it's been kinda hard. So I hope you all enjoy this chapter! I was expecting to get into the book events in this chapter but decided to leave you the way I did for a reason. The book events, however ,will be beginning definitely in the next chapter. I'm not sure when that will be but hopefully within the next fortnight or so. With the end of the year fast approaching things will be getting busier; I've got my Valedictory, schoolies vacation week, Christmas planning and I have an audition for a musical in two weeks so I'm kinda busy...but I won't forget all of you!**

**So, like I said, I hope you enjoy the chapter. If you have any comments or ideas or such, dont hesitate to drop me a line; and remember, reviews are definitely most welcome! Haha **

**Enjoy! x**

He was tired. He was cold. If he moved any further he would wind up on his ass on the bedroom floor. But despite all this, Dally had had one of the best night's sleep than he had had in a long while. It had been three days since he had come back to Tulsa, and being there...in that bed...with her, Dal felt a strange calming feeling.

He turned to look at her; fast asleep beside him. Most of the blanket was wrapped tightly around her body, with her legs poking out from underneath. At that particular moment, Dal couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

Yeah, she snored sometimes. Yeah, she stole the covers on cold nights and left him freezing til ungodly hours of the morning. Sure, she had a habit of kicking him on occasion...but all of that was sure as hell better than sleeping alone.

Almost three months of sleepless nights; staying up watching nothing but the ceiling change colour with the coming and going of sunlight, he never thought he would be so thankful to see a different set of four walls.

Dal glanced over at the clock on the bedside table.  
_7.10_  
Mel needed to get up and ready for class. He sighed to himself as he looked at the sleeping brunette at his side, clutching to her pillow as if her entire life depended on it.

_'This is going to be fun.'_ He thought sarcastically. He knew she didn't have long til she graduated, but still...things would be a hell of a lot nicer for both of them when she did. He moved over towards her, running his hand down her side

"Melody." He said. The only response he got was a muffled groan and Mel's desperate attempt to hide her face in the pillow once more. Dal couldn't help but laugh at her stubbornness.

"Kid, get up."

"No." Mel said childishly, swatting his hand away. "No get up, sleep forever."

"You have to get to school." Dal sighed. Mel laughed tiredly as she turned to face him. Her eyes were still somewhat closed, yet she could just make out his shirtless form beside her.

"I happen to like lounging in bed all day...so do you, for that matter." She grinned. "Yet here you are dragging me out."

"Believe me, if I had it my way, we'd never leave." Dal smirked, kissing her neck. Melody rolled her eyes and pushed him away, clutching her pillow once again.

"Good, I'm glad that's settled. Goodnight." She smiled. Dally groaned in frustration and moved away from her. Mel smiled to herself in victory as she felt a weight leave the bed, followed by Dally's footsteps. Happy with the outcome, Mel closed her eyes ready to sleep again. She thought she had won the battle until she felt two arms under her body and lift her up out of bed.

"Dallas!" she cried out as he threw her over his shoulder. "What the hell?"

"I don't wanna be responsible when your ass is late to class." Dal said. "I've already had to save your ass a few times in Hallon's office.

"If I recall correctly, that last time turned out rather well for the both of us." Mel retorted. The day they first got together.

"Yeah...but I kinda don't wanna do it again." Dal said.

"That doesn't explain why you threw me over your shoulder! All the blood is rushing to my head!" Mel cried, hitting him repeatedly on his back. She knew it was useless, and was probably not doing anything by hitting him, other than probably wearing herself out in her current state of sleepiness.

"You need a shower." Dal said simply. Mel cried out in frustration.

"I don't see wh..." It took her not a moment to realise the meaning behind his words. If she wasn't fully awake before, she sure as hell was now. Dal grinned to himself as she stopped struggling and was silent as his words played over in her mind.

"Dallas Winston don't you even think about it!" she warned. Mel knew the moment the words left her mouth that it was a pitiful excuse for a threat. She rolled her eyes at her own stupidity as she felt Dal's body shake with laughter.

"I hardly think you're in a position to threaten me, kid." He said. That's when the hitting resumed. Mel thought if she was gonna try and put up a fight, she might as well go the whole way, so she started kicking her legs about too. But, much to her chagrin, that only caused Dal to tighten his grip on her.

"I swear to god Dallas if you do you'll be so sorry..."

"What are you gonna do?" he wondered, pulling the bathroom door open. He sidestepped the array of towels and mess left by her brothers before they left that morning.

"I won't let you near me! You'll sleep on the couch." Mel vowed. She felt him shrug his shoulders as he pulled the shower curtain aside and stepped in.

"I'll take my chances." Dal said. And with that, he picked her up off his shoulder and put her in the bath. Before she could have a chance to get up and run, Mel cried out in surprise as she felt the cold water hit her, causing a momentary lapse in concentration. That was certainly not the wake-up call she wanted.

Dal burst out laughing as he watched her; her hair slowly sticking to her face while his oversized shirt was clinging to her body. Not to mention the extreme look of both annoyance and anger on her face once she finally looked up at him.

"You're an ass." She said, unimpressed. Dal smirked and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, I am." He laughed. "What are you gonna do about it?"

Mel didn't reply. She merely looked up at him and glared. That wasn't what worried Dal. No, what worried him was the moment when the glare turned into a sly smile, and he knew that he was in trouble.

It took Mel only a mere moment to catch Dally off guard; grab his wrist and pull him down under the water too. She could not help but burst out into a fit of laughter as he steadied himself and looked up at her; his hair streaming in front of his eyes; cold and unimpressed staring back at her.

"That wasn't funny." He growled.

"Oh, babe I beg to differ." She laughed. Dal glared at her for a moment before he leaned in, capturing her lips hungrily with his own. Surprised, Mel took a moment before kissing him back with equal passion. If he had just woke her up this way, she might have thought differently. She wrapped her arms loosely around his neck, pulling him closer. Unfortunately for them, the two were forced to break apart due to lack of oxygen.

"What about the others?" she asked breathlessly as Dal trailed his lips down her neck.

"Left...about...twenty minutes ago." He said in between kisses. Mel took his face in her hands and brought it back up to hers, taking control and pressing her lips to his once more. Dal's arms moved from the side of the tub to around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"What happened to not letting me near you?" Dal asked, with a cocky smirk.

"Shut up." Mel groaned, pulling his face to hers once more. Dal didn't have to be told twice. His hands found themselves pulling away at the soaking fabric of her shirt and under to touch the soft skin of her stomach.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Tell me, Soda. How _does_ one forget his shoes in the morning." Steve wondered as they pulled up outside the Curtis house for the second time that morning. Soda sighed and looked out the window at his house while his best friend continued to laugh at his misfortune.

"I mean, I know it happens all the time with you, but how does one _actually_ manage to forget a pair of shoes?"

"Aw, quit it man. I was in a rush to get out this morning." Soda said. He opened the door got out of the car, leaning in through the window.

"Just keep the engine running while I go get them, will ya?" he asked. Steve grinned and nodded, revving the car engine for good effect.

Shaking his head, Soda headed inside to find the missing footwear. Inside, he could hear the shower running, telling him that either his sister was finally out of bed, or that she was gone and Dally or one of the other guys were home alone. He figured that his shoes could only be in one of two places since he saw them last; his room or the living room.

After turning his room upside down, Soda moved out into the living room, finally finding the illusive sneakers behind the television set. How they got there, he had no clue...and figured it would probably be best not to think about it for too long.

Just as he was about to leave the house, Soda heard a muffled squeal coming from the bathroom. It didn't take him more than a few moments to put the pieces together. Soda couldn't help shaking his head and laughing silently. It was at that moment that he got an idea. After all, it wasn't very often that he had the chance to get some revenge on his twin for all the mornings she woke him up.

Sneaking into the bathroom, Soda tried his best to control his laughter as he walked over to the toilet. For a moment, he paused; he almost felt bad about what he was about to do..._almost. _Without another thought, he pressed the button and waited.

"What the he...AHHHHHHH!" Mel cried out as the water turned freezing. Her outcry was enough to send Soda falling to the floor with laughter.

"What the fu...Soda, what the hell man?" Dallas called out, recognising the laugh instantly. Soda just kept laughing as he ran out of the bathroom

"Oh god...that...that was too good...OWW!" he complained, feeling something hard hit the back of his head. He looked down and saw a bar of soap resting by his feet. Damn that was some good aim. He kicked it out of the way, grabbed his shoes and raced outside where Steve was waiting.

"What's going on?" Steve asked. Soda grinned and shook his head.

"Just get going, man." He laughed. Steve looked at his friend as if he was insane, yet nodded and drove off down the street.

oOoOoOoOo

Mel sighed as she pulled her wet hair up into a ponytail. Dallas sat on the couch, flipping through the TV stations, not really caring whether he found something to watch or not. Mel rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag and stood by the door, waiting expectantly.

"What?" Dal asked, not looking away from the screen.

"Drive me to school?" Mel wondered. Dal sighed in frustration.

"Do I have to?" he complained. Mel scoffed.

"No...but I thought you didn't want to be blamed for me being late to school again?" she asked. Dal looked at her raising his eyebrow. Mel crossed her arms and stuck out her bottom lip, just for the hell of it. Dal laughed at her, but got up and switched the TV off anyways.

"Come on." He grumbled, snatching the keys out of her hand and heading out the front door to the car. Mel smiled to herself triumphantly before following him outside.

"So, what am I supposed to do while you're gone?" Dal wondered as he pulled into the school parking lot. Mel laughed a little, knowing that he was still unused to having so much free time to himself.

"I don't know...clean my room is you want." She suggested. Seeing the look on Dal's face made her burst out laughing once more.

"Dal, relax it was a joke." She assured him. Dal merely rolled his eyes.

"Dal, there is a comfy bed; there is a TV, a radio, beer in the fridge and chocolate cake on the counter. I'm sure you can keep yourself occupied for a few hours." Mel said.

"I guess so." Dal sighed.

"Kathy will probably come over if she's bored do you can annoy her for a while, but I'm warning you now, those pregnancy hormones make her crazier than usual so either think before you say or be warned to suffer the consequences." Mel warned. That last bit made Dal grin. Pregnant or not, Kathy was always a good person to mess with, probably cause she dished it out as well as taking it.

"Alright, you've warned me." He smirked. Mel shook her head and smiled. She looked over at him and kissed his cheek.

"How about you come pick me up at lunch and we'll go do something, okay?" She suggested. Dal turned to look at her and smiled, nodding his head.

"Okay."

"Good. Well, now I have to go and be a good girl and learn some random shit that I probably won't ever need in life. " Mel complained. Dal snorted, not bothering to hide how much he didn't envy her.

"Okay babe, have fun with that." He laughed. Mel glared at him for a moment before cracking a grin. She leaned over and kissed him. It was only supposed to be a quick peck. But, as usual, Dal had other ideas. He stopped her from pulling away and deepened the kiss. After a few moments, they broke apart.

"I really gotta go." Mel said. Yet, she made no attempt to move.

"I know." Dal replied. Mel rolled her eyes and kissed him again. She could feel Dal smirk against her lips. She knew she had to get away now, otherwise she didn't stand a chance. Finally, and against both their wishes, Mel pulled away once more. She groaned in frustration and grabbed her bag.

" I'm going." She said getting out of the car. Dal couldn't help but smirk at her, watching her drag herself out of the car.

"Alright, going now. Be good, I'll see you later. I love you." Mel said. She threw her bag over her shoulder and started walking fast towards the school. Smirking to himself, Dal leaned forward and pressed the horn, causing her to jump ten feet in the air in fright.

"BE GOOD!" Mel called out. Dal rolled his eyes and started the car, heading back home to the Curtis place.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Mel sat tapping her foot impatiently, as her History teacher droned on and on about something she honestly cared very little about. So little, in fact, she had no idea what the hell it was he was even teaching them . She sighed to herself as she finished fiddling with her hair, pilling it into a loose braid to help pass the time.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of torture, the bell rang, signalling that it was time for lunch. Mel jumped out of her seat as fast as she could, not wanting to spend an extra minute in that classroom.

Dodging people left and right, Mel made it to her locker as fast as she could; grabbing her bag and shutting her locker in a matter of moments. She said a hurried goodbye to Steve and Two-Bit, who had just gathered by their lockers and headed out to the parking lot.

As she scouted the parking lot for her beat up yet trusty car, a loud, yet familiar horn broke the silence in the air. Sure enough, Dal was parked just outside the gate, with an all too familiar smirk plastered upon his lips. Shaking her head, Mel ran across the lot to the car, and jumped into the passenger seat.

"Hey." She said, greeting Dal with a kiss before throwing her things into the backseat.

"How was class?" Dal asked. Mel groaned and rolled her eyes, resting her head on the dashboard.

"Terrible." She said, looking up at him with a bored expression, causing him to smirk at her. He loved rubbing in the fact that he never had classes or had to be bothered with that shit.

"Stop smirking. I'm just...over people." She mumbled. " Anyways, what about your morning?"

"Slept, watched that stupid mouse on TV, had a beer..." Dal shrugged. "Then Kathy came over and tidied up a little then dragged me out of the house to drive her to do the shopping."

Mel couldn't help but laugh at his annoyed tone with that last part. She knew that he would never, ever admit it, but he probably didn't mind in the slightest about driving Kathy around.

"I bet that was fun." She laughed. Dal grunted a response as he pulled away from the school.

After a while of arguing where to go and eat, the two finally decided to head over to Dairy Queen; particularly since Mel would rather not be at work on her day off. As per usual, Dal found some poor waitress to annoy for fun. Boy did she get red after some of the stuff Dal was saying to her. Deciding that here is too much of a good thing, Mel practically dragged him back to the car with their lunch.

The two ate their meal in the car and talked; Mel bitching and complaining about school and 'junk like that' as Dal often put it, and him talking to her about anything and everything. In the time he'd been home, they had hardly had a time to actually just...talk. She was working, or at school, or studying, and he was getting used to the fact that he was actually back. The only time they had together was a few minutes between shifts or the short time at night before one of them fell asleep before the other.

"Well, just think about it...only, what, three months? Then you're out of that place for good." Dal said, scoffing down the last of his burger. Mel shrugged and played with the straw in her milkshake.

"True...but it's gonna be a long three months." She said. Dal shook his head, he knew there was no point mentioning it anymore.

"Shit." He said suddenly, hitting the steering wheel in frustration. Mel looked at him in surprise, not expecting such a sudden display of anger.

"What?" she questioned.

"I gotta head to the house." Dal said.

"Oh, okay. I mean, weren't you heading there any..."

"No." Dal interrupted. "I mean I've gotta go to my place."

It sounded strange; Dal saying 'his place'. Though he never really said it, she knew that he considered the Curtis place his home. They had been dating almost a year, and even before then he had spent more time at her place than at his father's. Hell, most of his things were either at her place or Buck's anyway, minus a few shirts or something.

"I'll just drop you back at school then head over there." Dal said, more to himself than anything. Mel looked at him strangely.

"Oh come on, Dal." She said.

"No." Dal said coldly. Mel sighed. It was no secret that he stayed as far away from his father's place as possible, never letting her, or any of the others for that matter, there if it could be avoided. More often than not, his father was passed out drunk on the floor, or so incredibly wasted that he picked a fight with Dal whenever he went home.

"Can't I just wait in the car?" Mel wondered. Dal threw her a look, telling her he wasn't going to change his mind. Huffing, Mel slumped back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest angrily.

Dal tightened his grip on the steering wheel; his eyes set straight ahead of him. Out of the corner of her eye, Mel watched him, silently wondering what was going through his head. Finally, he sighed and shut his eyes and leaned back against the headrest.

"Fine." He said, starting the car once more. Mel did her best to hid the small smirk that was threatening to show.

"But you're staying in the car." Dal said. Mel nodded her head silently. Usually, she'd be pissed and wouldn't listen to him. But she knew he was only looking out for her...how could she be mad at him for that?

The drive was silent, with both Mel and Dal wondering if even the slightest little word could start another argument. Mel just gazed out the window, watching the cars and the houses pass by. Before too long, they pulled up outside the house.

There was no car parked in the driveway, but that wasn't out of the ordinary. Dal parked the car out the front and turned to face Mel.

"Stay here." He warned. Mel rolled her eyes and nodded condescendingly, staring out the passenger seat window once more. Dal looked at her silently for a moment before getting out of the car and stalking his way up the drive and over to the front door. Mel watched silently as he cautiously approached the front door, and looked around before heading inside.

Something seemed rather odd to Mel as she watched him. Before he made it to the front door, it was wide open, with the screen door resting against the side of the house, allowing anyone and everyone to just waltz in if they wanted to. True she hadn't been to the place more than once before, but it didn't seem like the kind of place that would leave the house open like that. Dal had enemies; or at least people who wouldn't miss the chance to mess with him, and it wouldn't surprise Mel the slightest if his dad was similar.

She knew she was over-thinking things. Shaking her head, Mel sighed deeply and rested her feet on the dashboard, trying to find ways to amuse herself . She played with the loose hair that had fallen out of her braid; she fiddled with the buttons on the radio; she was even debating whether or not to set something on fire with her lighter to help pass the time.

Again, Mel glanced out the window at the house in front of her. Something wasn't right; she knew that much. Dal had been gone an awfully long time; if nobody was home, he would have come out straight after doing what he had to do. If his old man was home, more than likely there would be yelling or some kind of noise at least. But there was nothing...it was silent with the exception of the distant sound of cars passing by a few blocks away on the main road.

She couldn't stand it anymore. She didn't care if he would yell at her after this; she needed to know what the hell was going on. Getting out of the car, Mel wrapped her arms around herself as she made her way up the driveway and to the front door. Silently, she stuck her head through the door.

The house looked deserted; empty and broken bottles occupying the floor, food containers and other trash lay scarcely around the room. In all honesty, it didn't seem like anyone lived there at all. Melody couldn't hear a sound; the house was completely silent. Feeling reassurance, she ventured through the hallway, determined to find Dal.

Eventually, she stumbled upon him in one of the bedrooms. Glancing at the various shirts and cigarette packets and butts that lay strewn on the floor, Mel could only guess that it was Dal's. He sat silently on the edge of the bed, looking intently at a scrunched up bit of paper in his hand; he obviously hadn't heard her footsteps - or if he did, he wasn't paying any notice. Mel could have sworn that the thing would burst into flames if he stared at it any harder.

"Dal." She said quietly. He made no effort to move or even acknowledge that she was there. Mel debated with herself; deciding whether or not it was a good idea to approach him. Not really caring, Mel walked over, kneeling beside him on the floor by the bed. Dal didn't even bat an eye.

"Dally?" she asked softly.

"I don't believe it." Dal said. It was odd, for her to hear him speak in such a soft manner; it was so unlike him. But Mel didn't have a chance to question it before he continued.

"The bastard's gone."

Melody looked at him in disbelief. What did he mean?

"What?" she wondered. Dal nodded towards the paper in his hand.

"What's it say?" Mel asked. Dal handed her the scrap of paper. Mel looked at him for a moment before glancing down at the message. The handwriting was scrawled and rushed; almost unreadable and wasn't one that Mel could recognise.

_Do what you want with the house;  
'dont care. Not my problem anymore._

"He just...left?" Mel wondered. Dal nodded.

"Yeah. Can't believe I even got that outta him." He said, nodding to the note in her hands. The two sat in silence for a while, not really sure about what to say; both were still in a bit of shock. His dad had left, going God knows where; telling him that he could do whatever he wanted with the house. It was true, the house wasn't in the best condition. But it wasn't that bad.

Suddenly, Mel found herself wondering what Dally would do with the house. Would he sell it? Fixed up a little, it would probably give him a decent amount of money to keep himself right for a while. But then again...what if he didn't sell? What if he actually chose to live there?

"What are you gonna do?" Mel asked. Dal sighed and rested his face in his hands.

"I don't know." he admitted. Melody nodded and pulled herself up off the floor to sit beside him, resting her hand on his knee as a slight means of comfort. She honestly had no idea what to tell him; it was a big decision; not one that many eighteen year olds would generally have to make on their side of town. Particularly one that someone like Dallas would have to make.

"Well, think about it this way; if you do keep it, you won't have to crash on our couch...or complain about me kicking you or hogging the entire bed." she joked, trying to lighten the mood. Dal looked up at her and tried to manage a weak smile, but even then she could tell it was strained.

The two fell into silence; both thinking about possible outcomes for a situation like this. Time seemed to run slowly; seconds felt like hours, minutes felt like days; neither Mel or Dal knew how long they were sitting there for - minutes? Hours? It didn't seem to matter to either of them.

Suddenly, an idea flashed through Dal's mind. His eyes widened as wondered where that came from. Surely it wasn't himself thinking such a thing? He mentally kicked himself for the thought. Never in a million years would he ever...no, it wasn't happening. He would never think of something like that. He turned his head slightly to look at her; sitting there beside him, silent as the grave. Could it be possible...?

He couldn't...could he? No. No chance in hell. He couldn't. He wasn't. He wouldn't.

"Move in with me."

He did.


	66. The Nightly Double

**A/N: Hey all. Well, I finally got this chapter finished. It's a lot longer than I originally intended, but this will be my last chapter before Christmas and probably until the new year since I'm going away, but we'll see. Since this is when the story events really start to take place, I have made a few changes. Because we all know what happens with Ponyboy and Johnny when they run away, this story will mostly follow Mel and the others and what happens with them when the boys are gone; but I will cut back to short scenes to do with the boys every now and then.**

**So yeah. I hope you all like it and please don't hesitate to let me know your thoughts. **

**I wish you and yours a very happy time during this holiday season! Much love xx**

Mel's eyes widened beyond belief as those words escaped his lips. She turned her head to look at him, although a little too quickly. Her head snapped up so fast she thought it would crack. Wincing in pain, Mel rubbed the side of her neck tenderly.

"You're a moron." Dal said simply.

"Yeah well I'm sorry if I didn't react the best way after something like that." She complained. When the pain in her neck had subdued to a dull ache, she tried again; turning her head slowly to look at him face-to-face.

"Okay, do you mind telling me what the hell is the matter with you?" Mel asked.

"Nothing." Dal shrugged simply. Mel couldn't believe him. He just asked her to move in with him not even five minutes ago and yet here he is acting like he merely asked her to get him a can of beer!

"Bullshit it's nothing. You don't go around asking people to move in with you and pretend that it's nothing." She said. Once again, Dal shrugged and Mel was getting awfully tired of the simple action. She wondered if she was that annoying when she did it.

"Is this some kind of prank or something?" Mel wondered. She could easily picture Two-Bit or Steve...or even Soda hiding around the corner with a camera ready to jump out and yell 'April Fools' or something...even though that was a month away.

"No prank." Dal said. "Not a joke or a con or a game or anything like that."

"Then what..." Mel started. Dal held his hand up to stop her talking.

"I asked you to move in with me." He said. "Completely, one hundred percent serious."

Mel sat and stared at him for what seemed like a lifetime. She searched his face, his body language; anything for one small sign that he was joking. But she couldn't find anything. A million thoughts were racing through her head as they sat in silence. What the hell could she say to something like that? To say it was unexpected would be the understatement of the goddamn century...especially from someone like Dallas Winston.

"Are you out of your goddamn mind?" Mel asked finally. So maybe it wasn't the best thing to say in response, but it would have to do. Mel wanted answers and she wanted them now.

"Well I guess I must be." Dally said dryly. Mel sighed and ran her hand through her hair.

"I mean it Dal...I'm just, confused." She said.

"What's there to be confused about?" Dal asked. "I want you to move in here with me...it's not that difficult to understand, kid."

"You're actually serious about this?" Mel wondered, standing up and walking to the middle of the room. Dal stretched out against the back of the couch and nodded.

"Well, it is a little crowded at your joint." He said, folding his arms behind his head lazily.

"This is completely out of character...even for you." Mel said. She sighed and rested her head in her hands as she tried to steady her breathing. "I mean earlier this week you tell me that we should just run away together to the country, and now you're telling me that you want me to forget that idea and move in here with you..." she looked over at him; a look of both confusion and a desperate need to understand covered her face.

"What brought this on?" she asked, wrapping her arms around herself. Dal opened his mouth to answer, but Mel cut him off. "And I don't want some smartass, one word answer either. I want the truth."

She could tell that he was battling with himself about how to answer. She understood he was set in his ways; so used to putting on the cold front and not letting anyone in. But they had been together a long time, and he was slowly getting used to the idea of not being so cold with her. But there were still times that she had to remind him.

"Nobody's gotta know but me." She said quietly. Dal looked at her for a moment than sighed.

"I have no idea." He said. "Being...in there, it does something to people. I wouldn't expect you to understand.

"Then help me understand." Mel said, sitting down next to him again.

"A few months in jail...you get mean. You get touch and you don't give a shit about no one or nothing." Dal said. Mel lowered her eyes to the ground. "That was me. Hell, that still is me...at least I'd like to think so. But this time was different. Yeah I was mad, yeah I got mean...but something was different to last time I got put away. I had you waiting for me right here. And when you know you got someone out there; someone who actually gives a damn, you ain't so mean anymore...at least not all the time."

"When you see the same four walls every day you get thinking about stuff, you know? I, uh, I got thinking about what we was talking about at New Year's..."

_"A place out in the country…With a white picket fence and everything. A yard for football and a big tree out the front..._

Mel couldn't help smiling a little as she remembered. She honestly thought Dal was drunk out of his mind or at least couldn't remember that. Hell, even she forgot about that.

"…and it got me thinking about stuff. Stuff that I thought that I would ever, ever have to even worry about." Dally said.

"Like what?" Mel wondered. Dal sighed to himself. He wanted to tell her everything; how he hated that they were both too stubborn to realize that they should have been together a lot sooner than they were; how he didn't want to miss out on any more time with her; how he thought about that little how with the picket fence and the yard complete with big tree and tyre swing. But he couldn't…not yet; not while he still struggled to tell himself that he wanted those things. he knew that the simple answer would have to do, even just for now.

"That I don't see a reason why we shouldn't live together. We practically do anyways. My stuff is scattered around Tulsa; either at your joint or at Bucks. What difference would it make really? Think about it…you could wake up when you wanted. You wouldn't have to fight Soda for the bathroom at all. Darry wouldn't constantly be breathing down your neck about work, or school, or me. And…well yeah." He trailed off.

"What were you gonna say?" Mel wondered. Dal shook his head, wanting to drop the subject.

"It doesn't matter." He said.

"Yes it does…tell me." Mel said stubbornly. Dal sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"it would mean we can finally get Johnny out." He said finally. Mel looked at him in shock; she certainly hadn't been expecting that either.

"What?"she asked. Dal leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees; his face turning solemn and serious.

"If you moved in here there would be room here or a free room at your brothers'. If he wanted to…Johnny could leave those bastards and stay away for good." Dal said softly.

Melody looked at her boyfriend silently. It was rare moments like this; moments that his 'so-called' heart of ice would melt and show the love within; the love usually reserved for the gang and particularly Johnny...it was moments like that that reminded her of why she loved him...and caused her to fall all over again.

Unable to help herself, Mel leaned over and took his face in her hands, and brought his lips her hers. It wasn't hungry, or rough, or stubborn like so many other kisses they shared. But it was soft, and it was passionate; it was Mel's way of telling him that she was happy with that answer.

Dal wrapped his arms around her waist and dragged her across the couch and onto his lap; letting her knees rest either side of him.

"Is that a yes?" Dal asked. Mel pulled away from him for a moment and sighed; running her fingertips in patterns on his shirt.

"It's a maybe." She said. Dal nodded his head, then remembered something.

"Don't you have to get back to class or something?" he asked. Mel thought for a moment before shrugging.

"I can afford to miss Math." She said, pulling him close once more.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"HE WHAT?"

"Will you keep your goddamn voice down?" Mel hissed at her friend. Kathy looked at her friend in complete and utter disbelief.

"Well excuse me for being somewhat in a state of shock." The blonde said defensively. Mel rolled her eyes and played with a loose thread of the tattered blanket that lay across their laps. The two were sitting on the kitchen flaw, just beside the refrigerator. They had no idea why, it just seemed like a good idea at the time, and Kathy recently insisted on doing things like that before she wouldn't be able to get up by herself for a while.

Mel was about to answer when Steve and Soda ran into the kitchen, almost running into the countertop. They were shortly followed by Two-Bit.

"Are we able to some work out the back?" Steve asked. Mel looked at him suspiciously.

"Why don't I like the way you say that? What kind of work?" she asked. The three boys looked at each other and shrugged.

"On the car?" Soda said. "Steve's got some more hubcaps he's gotta store too."

"Why are you asking me anyway?" Mel wondered. The three looked at her silently; waiting for an answer.

"Wh...yeah, sure." Mel said, waving them away. The guys high-fived each other before racing each other out to the back door. Kathy craned her neck to see if she could see them out the window.

"What the hell was that?" she asked.

"I don't even want to know." Mel said, rubbing her temples. Kathy cocked her eyebrow and looked at the backdoor once more before returning her attention to her friend...and both the tub of ice cream and the packet of potato chips that rested between them.

"Okay back to the story now." She said, scooping some ice cream up with a chip. Mel pulled a disgusted face at her friend before looking at the tiles on the floor.

"He asked me to move in with him." She said, drawing patterns on the floor.

"Dally?" Kathy wondered.

"Mhhmm."

"Our Dally?"

"Yep."

"The guy who spent the better half of this morning reminding me about how fat I was getting?"

"Ye…wait what?" Mel wondered. Kathy grinned and waved the thought away.

"Don't worry about it. I got him back my ramming his feet with the shopping cart." She said, earning a small smile from Mel. "So what did you tell him?"

Mel remained silent as she continued to trace the cracks in the floor tiles.

"You said no, didn't you?" Kathy wondered. Mel quickly looked up at her before looking back at the floor. Kathy's eyes widened.

"You said yes?" she screeched.

"Don't be stupid!" Mel said. Kathy looked at her friend with a rather bemused expression before throwing a chip at her head.

"Well what the hell did you say?" she demanded. Mel sighed and looked up, finally looking eye-to-eye with her friend.

"I told him maybe." She said. Kathy nodded slowly.

"It's just…I didn't expect something like this from Dal." She said. Mel snorted with laughter.

"You're telling me." She laughed. "Something…and, I don't know what it is…but something's changed him since he's been away."

"I mean I..." Kathy was cut short by the sound of something buzzing outside from where they were sure the guys were out doing god knows what.

"Is that a drill?" Kathy wondered. Mel rolled her eyes and jumped up to her feet, leaning out of the open kitchen window. She could see the three boys huddled over something in the backyard.

"Hey! No power tools!" she yelled out. She shook her head at the three before sliding back down to the ground floor with Kathy.

"So…what are you gonna do?" the blonde asked, tossing another chip into her mouth. Mel sighed and shrugged her shoulders helplessly.

"I honestly don't know. I mean, I love him…but …I don't know if we should move in together. " She said. It was true; Mel was only seventeen, Dal was a month shy of nineteen and they both lived basically under her older brother's care. Dal didn't work and Mel worked two jobs while trying to juggle school as well...it just seemed as though it was something they wanted, but it came and the worst possible time.

"Well, I love you, both of you." Kathy said. "I mean, God knows you're both crazy enough to do something like this. "

"You think so?" Mel wondered. Kathy grinned and shook her head.

"Honey the two of you… it just is." She laughed. "I mean, things around here ain't right unless the two of you are well…you. And I know you agree with me. Hell everyone does."

"I don't know… just I don't wanna jinx it." Mel said quietly. Kathy rolled her eyes and shoved a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

"Come on." She said. Mel shook her head.

"Seriously; right here and now…everything just…works. I mean, Dal's home; we're doing well in school. Soda's doing well at the DX. In a few months I'm gonna be the world's most favourite aunt ever." She laughed, leaning down to speak to Kathy's stomach that time, causing the mother-to-be to laugh a little. Mel smiled and sat at properly.

"Granted the only thing that could be better is Pony and Darry, but what's new? Just… I'm happy. I'm really happy. And I don't know, everything's right …like how it should be." She said.

"So what's the problem then?" Kathy wondered. "If everything's how it should be then maybe he was supposed to ask you now? Ever thought of that?"

"I'm just worried that something...just one thing...is going to happen and bring it all crashing down."

Silence fell across the two as Mel drifted off into her own little dream world. Kathy watched on with a knowing smile on her face as she ran her hand over her stomach lovingly.

"You're gonna move in with him…aren't you?" she said.

"I have no idea. I mean, if I did it wouldn't be til after I graduated..."

"Which is only in three or so months." Kathy reminded her.

"I know...but, I don't know. Maybe I will." Mel said finally. Kathy rolled her eyes and shook her head, knowing all along that that would be the end result one way or another.

"Your Aunty Melody is one crazy lady." She said to her stomach. "Yes she is! She's just too damn stubborn to see how good her and Uncle Dally are together."

"Ha! Uncle Dally...oohhhh, he's gonna love that one!" Mel laughed, falling back onto the kitchen floor in a fit of laughter.

"Hey, he's gotta get used to it." Kathy said. "Mr. Tough-as-nails hoodlum is gonna be number one on my babysitter's list if he doesn't watch himself."

Mel laughed as she started picturing Kathy leaving her baby alone with Dal for the day. To be perfectly honest, she wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not.

The pair continued their little picnic of sorts on the kitchen floor for a little while longer. The boys eventually gave up on whatever little project they were working on in the backyard and had moved into the living room where they seemed to have started a poker game with Dally. From the sounds of it, Soda was up to his old tricks again.

The girls laughed quietly as they heard Two-Bit make some smartass remark...shortly followed by a kind of scream as presumably, Dally got fed up with him and started chasing him around the house.

"I can't believe you're gonna move in with Dally." Kathy said. Mel smiled at her as they listened in to the happenings in the living room.

"Hey! Be careful, he's gonna be a father!" called Soda. Melody shook her head.

"I still can't believe you're having a baby...you and Two-Bit." She said, making Kathy grin and put her hand on her stomach lovingly.

"We've got a doctor's appointment the day after tomorrow." She said.

"All we need is for Angie to get married and we're all set." Mel laughed. Kathy eyed her friend carefully.

"Well it seems as though Angela might not be the one with the proposal in the near future." She said casually.

"YEAH RIGHT!" Mel cried out.

"Why not?" Kathy wondered, dodging a flying potato chip.

"'Cause that's not Dal; he ain't that kind of person. No. No way." Mel said, shaking her head. Kathy shrugged her shoulders, not at all convinced.

"Clearly he's had some kind of change over three months, Mel. He's asking you to move in with him...things can only go up from here." She said. Mel glared at her best friend before taking a handful of chips.

"That's like saying Two-Bit's gonna propose." She said. Kathy stopped suddenly, looking as if she'd seen a ghost.

"Oh honey don't even joke about like that." She said.

"Well why not? You two are having a baby...it seems like things can only go up from here." Mel laughed. Kathy glared at the younger girl.

"I take that back kid, your Aunty Melody is one mean-ass bitch." She told her baby bump. Mel could only laugh.

"I love you too Kath."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Much to her surprise, Darry didn't mention Mel skipping class when he got home that night. Although, it was more than likely that the teachers never even noticed her missing at all. He simply came home, tired and aggravated from work and collapsed on the couch, making Soda promise he would give him a backrub when he was done in the kitchen.

"So, you gonna explain why you three idiots were using power tools this afternoon?" Mel asked, leaning against the kitchen counter. Soda grinned as he finished icing the chocolate cake he prepared earlier.

"Well, we _were_ going to go work on the car," he said.

"You don't need power tools for that." Mel said opening the refrigerator door. Soda laughed sarcastically.

"I know that smarty." He said. He grabbed the cake and headed over to the refrigerator. "But then we found some of that old wood that's out in the backyard by the couch; you know, the stuff leftover from when Darry and Dad were fixing up the front porch?"

"There's still some left?" Mel wondered. Soda nodded.

"Yeah, and it gave us an idea. So we were just...trying something out." He shrugged.

"Like what?" Mel questioned. Soda grinned at his twin and wiped his hands on the dishrag before heading out into the living room.

"You'll have to wait and see." He said cryptically. Mel watched him walk away with a look of complete confusion on her face. Absolutely none of what he just said made any sense to her.

"What the hell does that mean?" she wondered. But she got no reply. Sighing to herself, Mel grabbed her notebook and headed back into the living room, checking in on Ponyboy; huddled up at his desk as she walked by.

Soda was now perched atop of the couch, with Darry's back resting against him. He stuck his tongue out, trying to concentrate as he tried to work out the knots in Darry's shoulders and back. Mel found a spot on the floor by the arm chair where Dally was lounging; looking as though he would fall asleep at any minute. She leaned back and rested her back against his legs as she flipped to a page in her notebook and started writing.

"Rub harder, Soda," Darry mumbled. "You're gonna put me to sleep."

"See, this is why we tell you not to carry more than one bundle up that goddamn ladder." Mel said, not even moving her eyes from her notebook.

"If I wanted your opinion, little sister, I'd ask for it." Darry said tiredly. He probably would have snapped at her a little more if he wasn't so tired. Mel simply shook her head, knowing that it would take a lot more to get him to listen to them.

"So, you up to going to Buck's tomorrow night after the Double?" Dally asked. Mel leaned her head back to look at him and shrugged.

"Sure." She said. "Can I Darry?"

"I guess it's okay." Darry mumbled sleepily. Mel smiled and looked up at Dally and nodded her head before craning her neck to look at the clock.

"Darry go to bed." She said. The eldest Curtis didn't need to be told twice, nor did he have the energy to argue with her. He slowly pulled himself off the couch and trudged his way to his room.

"Make sure he gets to sleep soon?" Mel wondered, nodding towards Soda and Pony's room. Her twin nodded his head and said goodnight as Mel and Dal headed into her room.

Shutting off the lights and the television, Soda shifted slowly to his room, where he found his little brother still bent over his textbook, struggling to stay awake.

"Come on, Pony." He said, pulling the pencil out of the boy's hand. Ponyboy yawned and nodded, marking his page and shutting his book for the night.

"Soda?" Pony asked.

"Yeah?"

"How come you dropped out?" Pony asked quietly. He heard his brother sigh and turn over to lie on his back.

" Because I'm dumb." Soda said. "I ain't like you or Melody, I ain't got your smarts. Besides, the only things I was passing were auto mechanics and gym."

"You're not dumb." Pony insisted.

"Yeah, I am. But that's okay. You've got enough smarts for all of us." Soda laughed. The two lay in silence as Pony thought about what his brother told him. He didn't agree with him at all; about him being dumb. Sure he wasn't too good at school, but not everyone is...and in Pony's opinion, Soda had done pretty alright for himself at the DX since then.

"Hey Soda?"

"Mmmhhmm?"

"What's it like, being in love?" Pony wondered. In the darkness of the room, Sodapop grinned.

"Any particular reason you're asking, Pone?" he asked slyly.

"Why can't I just ask a question?" Pony wondered, more to himself. Soda laughed.

"Relax, kid. I'm messing with you." He said. " It's real nice. It's the most amazing feeling. Like, you care so much about someone; more than you ever thought you would in your life. You love everything about them."

"And that's how you feel about Sandy?" Pony wondered.

"Yeah." Soda sighed happily. "I love her smile, her laugh, her hair. The way she says hello, that incredible perfume she wears, her big brown eyes..."

"Sandy's eyes are blue...aren't they?" Pony wondered. Soda stopped suddenly. Brown eyes? Where did that come from?

"I'm half asleep Pony, forget about it." Soda said, waving it off as he turned around and shut his eyes. In mere moments, he was fast asleep. Ponyboy sighed to himself and turned on his side as he stared out the window, slowly starting to fall asleep.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Slipping out the door quietly, Mel pulled on her abandoned sneakers by the front door before she made her way to the vacant lot. She tried to sleep as soon as she went to bed about an hour before, but was having trouble keeping her eyes closed. Dally on the other hand, fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. But something was keeping Mel awake. Some kind of feeling that something wasn't right. Call it intuition or a sixth sense or whatever you want...it was rarely completely wrong.

When Two-Bit and Kathy asked Johnny if he wanted to crash there the night, the younger boy politely declined, but assured them all that if anything should happen, he would take them up on his offer. Somehow, Mel was almost sure that that was not the case.

The night air was rather chilly, and Mel was thankful she grabbed her brother's sweater before she left the house; balling the sleeves in her fists to keep warm. Up ahead, she could see the faint glow of a fire down by the old couches in the lot. As she made her way closer, her suspicions were confirmed as she could see a small figured huddled by the flames.

"Johnny." She said softly. The younger boy looked up in surprise, not expecting to see her there. Mel smiled warmly and held her hand out for him. Johnny looked up at her and smiled; taking her hand and getting to his feet.

"You're freezing." Mel said, wrapping her arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer to her.

"How'd you know I was here?" Johnny wondered. Mel merely shrugged and smiled.

"Let's just call it intuition." She said as they headed back to the house. When they arrived, Mel tiptoed over to her room and peeked through the crack in her door. Dallas was still asleep, snoring a little; completely unaware that she has even left the room at all. Shaking her head slightly, she closed the door and silently grabbed a spare blanket and pillow and set them on the couch where Johnny was waiting.

"Why didn't you just come here?" she asked, setting up the couch for him. Johnny shrugged, not entirely sure why he didn't either. Mel sighed and switched on the TV, showing some random late night movie.

"You want some company?" Mel asked.

"You're not tired?" Johnny asked. Mel smiled and shook her head. Johnny smiled in thanks as he sat down on the couch next to her. She made sure they were covered by the blanket before she rested her head on his shoulder and they set to work trying to make sense of the movie playing silently on the television.

oOoOoOoOoOo

For a Friday, things had been pretty slow at the DX all day. The usual swarm of girls stopped by on their way home after school to flirt and even just get a glimpse of Soda, while Mel and Steve watched on with amusement. Finally, after they eventually realised that it wasn't going anywhere, the girls left broken hearted.

"Man, those girls just don't give up!" Soda sighed, hoisting himself up onto the workbench, Pepsi in hand.

"Oh yeah, cause it's just so hard to deal with a bunch of girls just hanging around you." Steve scoffed.

"You're just jealous." Soda smirked. Mel laughed at their friend's scowling face as she turned the radio up louder. The familiar sounds of Elvis soon filled the shop and the three teens kicked back and rested for a while; Melody hummed along to whatever song was playing while laughing at her brother's not half bad Elvis impressions on the hood of the Impala they were supposed to be fixing.

"Answer me this, good buddy." Steve said, as Soda jumped down from the car. "When was the last time you saw Old Man Peterson?"

Old Man Peterson was the owner of the DX station. When the twins and Steve first started working there, he was always hanging around, making sure they didn't screw up; or his idiot of a son would be staying back to keep an eye on them. But for a long while now, they hadn't seen or heard from him - the only mention they got was when they got paid.

"Maybe he trusts us enough finally to actually leave us to work." Soda said with a smile.

"Man, we practically run this joint." Steve said. "We open up, we close at the end of the day, we work the gas pumps we fix the cars..."

Mel smiled to herself and shook her head; sensing one of Steve's pointless rants coming along. Not really wanting to listen, Mel decided to tune him out; a handy skill to have with friends like hers. She was so far off in her own little world that she didn't even see Steve head over to the gas pumps, or Soda getting stuck under the hood of the Impala once more.

"Here come the hobos." Steve yelled out. Mel shook herself out of her daydream and looked out the shop. Sure enough, she could see Dal, Pony and Johnny making their way up the drive. Mel grinned and got up out of her chair and ran down to meet them, with Soda following close behind.

"Hey guys. Just let me get changed." Mel said giving Dal a quick kiss before running back into the office. She grabbed her bag and changed out of her greasy work shirt and changed into a fresh pair of jeans and shirt. After fixing her hair and washing up a little, Mel finally decided she looked well enough for the movies and for Buck's later that night. Leaving her bag where Soda could take it home for her, Mel headed back outside where she found Dal annoying Steve with a broken windshield wiper.

"Anyone want to buy a windshield wiper?" Dally joked, flinging it back and forth in front of Steve's face. Steve swatted it away, causing the others to laugh. Soda grinned and shook his head .

"Give them the money." He said in between laughs. Steve glared at Dal and handed Ponyboy some money for the movie.

"Alright you lot, let's get out of here." Mel said as Dal wrapped his arm around her shoulders. The group said goodbye to Steve and Soda and headed down the street. It was still fairly light out, so they decided to take the longer, 'scenic route' as Dally called it; a fancy name for weaving their way behind buildings and houses to take more time getting there.

"So what's the movie about?" Johnny asked. Dally smirked and pulled the younger boy into a headlock.

"It's one of those beach movies, I think. There the only half decent thing playing." he shrugged, letting the kid go after much pestering. Mel raised an eyebrow.

"You mean one of those beach movies that always bores us to death so we just make out the entire time?" she wondered. Dal grinned.

"Yep." He said, ignoring how both Johnny and Pony seemed to get a little red in the ears as they walked a little further ahead. Mel rolled her eyes.

"Typical." She said. Dal simply smirked, not bothering to deny it, as they continued on their way. Walking through a couple of rundown buildings, they passed a couple of kids playing on a patch of grass. Never one to miss the chance to show off, Dal sauntered up to them, looking mean.

"Did I say you guys can play on my grass?" he asked. The kids looked up from their game; their eyes widening at the sight of Dally standing menacingly in front of them.

"No." they said innocently, trying to keep their voices strong.

"Then what are you doing here?" Dally asked. The kids said nothing; overcome with intimidation. Mel was struggling to contain her laughter; poor kids didn't look much older than 10, while Pony and Johnny did their best to look tough, and by the looks of it, it seemed to be working.

"Give me those cards, will you?" Dal demanded. The kids cautiously handed the deck over to Dal.

"You guys ever play 52 Pick-Up?" he asked as he shuffled the cards absentmindedly.

"Yeah."

"What? Don't get wise. I don't like little kids, I just don't like them." Dally said. Mel smiled softly, knowing otherwise. But, for the sake of 'the rep', she played along. Dal shook his head at the kids and tossed the cards; scattering them all over the ground. Apparently the children didn't figure out that that was their cue to leave. Dal lunged forward, scaring the life out of them.

"Get out of here or I'll kill you!" he screamed. The kids got up as fast as they could and ran; not turning around once. Dal and the others ran after them, chasing them almost to the end of the block before they slowed down and watch the kids run.

"Gee, is that what you're gonna be like when Kathy has her baby?" Mel wondered sarcastically. Dal glared at her, knowing she was somewhat joking, before looking up at the sky.

"The sky's getting dark." He said. "Come on, let's go."

oOoOoOoOoOo

The sky was completely black by the time they reached the Nightly Double. While the cars and other moviegoers were heading round the front to pay their quarter entry fee, Dally lead the group around the back, where the old and faithful hole in the fence was waiting for them.

Dally went first; slipping quietly under the fence and looked around for any of the workers before clearing the way for Ponyboy, then Johnny and finally Melody.

"I'm gonna go get a coke." Mel said, dusting herself off. They walked past the seats and the guys went to find a good spot while she headed over to the refreshment stand. It already looked as though a fight was about to break out when she arrived.

A couple of Soc-type guys were hanging out by the back of the room, looking out of place and about ready to start some trouble. Mel shook her head, knowing that if anything did happen they brought it all upon themselves.

She nodded to a couple of guys from Tim Shepard's outfit, knowing that the guy himself would definitely be around the place somewhere; she would have to let Dally know when she got back to them. Mel paid for her drink and left the stand. As she walked out the door, an all too familiar voice could be heard; Tim Shepard. Glancing out the corner of her eye, Mel spotted him standing around the back of the stand, surrounded by a few members of his outfit. Yep, she'd definitely have to tell Dally.

As she walked back to her seat, her mind was racing with about a million thoughts; particularly about Dally. It was the one thing she couldn't get out of her mind. The same things were going over and over through her mind; they were too young; they weren't ready; they couldn't afford it; ...What the hell was he thinking? Melody was torn in two; part of her wanted to move in right away. She loved him, he loved her; why shouldn't they? But the other part; the reasonable, mature and dominant part of her, kept telling her that she couldn't even let it cross her mind at the moment. There were too many reasons against it, and besides; if she was questioning it, wasn't that reason enough that it shouldn't happen yet?

Knowing these thoughts weren't going anywhere anytime soon, Mel was determined to at least push them to the back of her mind, even if only for the night. She was going to enjoy the movie and have some fun that night at Buck's. Whatever problems the world wanted to give her could wait until the sunrise.

Melody scanned the seats for any sign of the guys. Knowing Ponyboy, they would have found a pretty good seat right near the front, so he could have a great view of the movie. She didn't have to look very long though. Up ahead she could see someone kicking the seat in front of them; three guesses who? From what she could tell, Dal decided it would be fun to annoy the poor girls in front of them, ignoring them when they asked politely for him to stop. Mel couldn't help noticing that the one in front of Dal; the redhead, seemed strangely familiar, although she couldn't place where from.

Dal kicked his feet up to rest on the top of the chair in front, but lost footing and turned his own chair over, falling to the ground. Pony and Johnny burst out laughing, as did the two girls in front of them Melody couldn't contain her laughter as she headed over to the group.

"Nice move, Dallas." She teased. Dal glared at her as he got up and turned his chair right, letting Mel pass and sit next to Ponyboy before he resumed his little game. Mel rolled her eyes and turned to her little brother.

"I'm not even gonna bother asking." She mumbled.

"I tried to warn him, Mel." Pony said, sounding somewhat ashamed. Mel smiled at him, finding it sweet that he would try and warn him. But Mel knew that Dal was only messing around. Anything he said or did to the poor girl was just a way to have some fun; he meant nothing by it.

"Don't sweat it, Ponyboy." She said. "He's just making a bigger ass of himself."

Ponyboy smiled a little and offered her a cigarette. Mel smiled in thanks and pulled one out of the deck before reaching into her pocket for her lighter.

"Get your feet off my chair and shut your trap!" The girl snapped at him. Mel couldn't deny that she was impressed. Not many people talked to Dally like that, except herself every now and again, and the very few who did, actually got away with it. She turned to Ponyboy only to find him staring at the redhead. Mel knew that look anywhere.

_'Oh boy...'_ she thought, turning back to the screen.

"Who's gonna make me?" Dally wondered, determined to push the girl further. Johnny got out of his seat.

"I'm gonna get a Coke." He said. Both Mel and Ponyboy moved to let him pass before returning their attention on the game in front of them. Well, Mel kept watching; Pony tried to have some focus on the movie that was playing, and keep his mind off how cold he was.

"You should see my record sometime, baby." Dal smirked.

"Why don't you be nice and leave us alone?" the redhead asked, getting more and more aggravated and annoyed with him.

"I'm never nice." Dal said before he leaned forward and started taking quietly to the girl. Melody rolled her eyes; again with the whole 'protect the rep' thing. She honestly wondered when Dal was planning on giving up torturing the poor girl and leave her alone.

"Get lost, hood!" the redhead screamed. Obviously not anytime soon. Mel winced a little; that one had to hurt, even only a little bit. It took all the willpower she had not to laugh out loud. Even Pony looked surprised.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you had this problem of...yelling in my face." Dal said. "All right, I'll go. I know when I'm not wanted." He said. He glanced up at Mel, who simply shook her head at him and pretended to watch the movie. After Dal left, Mel took his absence as an excuse to use his chair as a footrest.

Flicking her cigarette away, she swung her legs up onto the chair and leaned her back against Ponyboy's shoulder. After a moment or two, the redhead in front whipped around to face them.

"Are you going to start now, too?" she asked Ponyboy. He shook his head, shocked that she was talking to him. It was then that Mel realised where she had seen her before. She was there the night of the dance, the girl who tried to stop one of the guys in Greene's gang. She had seen her around the school occasionally, a cheerleader or something like that, she looked the type anyway.

"No." Ponyboy assured her, somewhat nervously. The girl took a good look at him, and her eyes softened.

"You don't look the type anyway." She said softer. "What's your name?"

"Ponyboy Curtis." Pony said, sitting up straighter. The redhead smiled. Her friend had now turned around to join in the conversation.

"That's an original name." The redhead said.

"Our dad was an original person. This is my sister, Melody." He said. Mel nodded to the girls before turning back to the screen. "We got a brother named Sodapop too, it says so on his birth certificate." He said. Melody smiled as she looked away; they were always proud of their original names.

"My name's Sherri but my friends call me Cherry because of my hair." The redhead said.

"Yeah, I know. We go to the same school. You're a cheerleader." Pony said. Mel smirked, she knew she was right about the cheerleading bit.

"You don't look old enough to be going to high school." Cherry's friend said.

"What's a nice boy like you doing hanging around with that trash?" Cherry wondered. A sudden fit of anger flared up in Mel. She hated it when anyone was called _trash_. But then Mel remembered who she was, and who she was friends with. Suddenly, she didn't feel so bad for the girl. She was a Soc after all.

"Dal's my buddy. I'm a Greaser, too." Ponyboy said, standing his ground an sticking up for Dally. "We're all friends. He's going with my sister." He continued. Cherry's eyes widened in surprised and she turned to look at Melody.

"You look surprised." Mel said dryly.

"Well, I just didn't...I...I'm sorry, I didn't know." Cherry stuttered. She looked at her friend who shrugged, looking at her hands. Desperate for a change of subject, Cherry turned back to Ponyboy.

"Your brother, Sodapop, he works at the gasoline station? A DX right?" she asked as Johnny came back. Pony shifted in his seat to let him pass and nodded.

"Yeah, that's him. Both the twins work there." Ponyboy said. Cherry smiled at Ponyboy

"He's a doll. I should have known you were brothers." She gushed. Mel rolled her eyes and turned to find Ponyboy blushing somewhat.

_'Here we go.'_ She thought to herself, sitting up straight in her chair.

"He and your sister used to ride in rodeos right?" The friend, Marcia asked. Ponyboy nodded.

"Yeah, but our dad made Soda quit after he tore a ligament. Mel stopped soon after." He explained.

"I see your sister at school sometimes. But how come we don't see your brother anymore?" Cherry asked, glancing over at Ponyboy. "Has he been working full time since your parents died?"

"He's a dropout." Ponyboy said solemnly. Cherry and Marcia looked at each other, silently talking, before Marcia turned her head around and smiled sweetly.

"Why don't you two sit up here with us? You could protect us." Marcia asked. Ponyboy He glanced over at Mel who smirked and nodded.

"What do you think?" Pony asked Johnny. The older boy shrugged and nodded.

"Might as well." He said before they jumped over the empty seats in front and sat down beside the girls. Mel laughed quietly to herself; it was a rare sight to see those two in the company of girls other than those in the gang.

"How come you ain't scared of us like you were Dally?" Johnny wondered.

"You two are two sweet looking to scare anyone." Cherry sighed.

"Sure, we're young and innocent." Pony remarked. Cherry shook her head.

"No...you're just not dirty." She said. Mel raised her eyebrow. If there was any doubt about that girl being a Soc, not that there was any doubt just looking at her, then that sentence would fix you up no problem.

"How old are y'all?" Marcia asked.

"Fifteen," Pony said.

"Seventeen," said Johnny. Marcia giggled softly.

'That's funny," Marcia said, "I thought you were both..."

"Seventeen." Cherry finished for her. Ponyboy sent her a thankful look. He knew that Johnny looked a whole lot younger then he actually was.

Dal came back with an arm full of cokes and popcorn boxes. Mel smirked, she had to wonder whether he actually paid for them or just snuck over the counter to get them. She honestly wouldn't put anything past him. He handed a box of popcorn to Mel before handing the rest out to the others sitting in the front.

"I thought this might cool you off." Dal said to Cherry, handing her a coke before sitting back down in his seat beside Melody. She glared at the drink before turning around to face Dal.

"Maybe that will cool you off until you learn how to be decent." She said as she threw the contents of the cup onto Dally. The look on his face was priceless; a mix between wanting to beat the shit out of someone, and just smirking and making some smartass remark. Thankfully for all involved, he chose the latter.

"Gee, if you wanted to see me without my shirt, doll, you should've just asked." He smirked, pulling the shirt away from his body. Cherry rolled her eyes and turned back around to face the screen.

"You're such a wiseass Winston." Mel said. Dal grinned and shrugged.

"Yeah but you love me for it." He said smartly. Mel sighed dramatically and smiled.

"Yeah, I do." She said. Dal wiped the coke off his jacket the best he could; the rest would have to wait til they got to Buck's later. He draped his arm around Mel and pulled her close. The two pretended to watch the movie a little while longer, but just as Mel predicted earlier, it bored them half to death, so they wound up making out instead. Dal made it his mission to annoy Cherry as much as he could, which included 'innocently' kicking her chair a couple of times. Eventually, the two pulled apart and simply sat there staring at the screen, giving up all hope of watching the movie.

"I forgot to tell you, Shepard's here." Mel said. Dal's eyes lit up at the chance to go mess with Shepard. He'd been back in town for about a week and was yet to go make trouble for the guy. Mel rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Go, I'll head over to Buck's after I take the boys home." She said. Dal grinned and kissed her once more before getting out of his seat. Just as he was about to leave, Mel had an idea and called him back. Ponyboy turned to look at them and saw Mel whispering something to Dal before swapping his blade for hers. As Dal left, Pony threw his sister a questioning glance, but she waved it off and turned her attention back to the screen. The group was so immersed in watching the movie, or in some cases, only somewhat, that they didn't notice the figure creeping over to them silently.

"Okay greasers you've had it!" said a voice, as an arm snaked its way around Johnny. Cherry and Marcia jumped about twelve feet in the air, while Pony and Johnny were merely spooked. It didn't take long for a familiar cackling laugh was heard and the two boys could breathe easy

"Hey Two-Bit." Pony said. Two-Bit grinned and started messing around with Johnny's hair. The younger boy reached his hand up and swatted Two-Bit away. He merely grinned and pushed a can into the kid's trembling hands.

"Here, kid, have a beer. It'll settle your nerves." He told him. Mel shook her head.

"Hey there handsome." She said. Two-Bit turned to her and smiled brightly, tipping his invisible hat to her.

"Well hey there Mel. How's my girl doing?" he asked, sitting down beside her.

"I thought your sister was with Dallas?" Cherry whispered to Ponyboy. He smiled.

"She is. She and Two-Bit have been friends since they were crawlin'." He explained. Cherry nodded her head, trying to piece it all together.

"Well, now, who do we got here? Your great-grandmothers?" Two-Bit asked, leaning in between the girls. "What are you ladies doing with these Greasers?"

"We picked them up," Marcia said. "We're really Arabian slave traders and we're thinking about shanghaiing them. They're worth ten camels apiece at least." Two-Bit grinned but shook his head in disagreement.

"Five," he argued. "They don't talk Arabian, I don't think. If they do it's a secret they've been hiding all this time. Come on, say somethin' in Arabian, Johnnycake."

"Aw, cut it out!" Johnny broke in. "Dally was bothering them and when he left they wanted us to sit with them to protect them. Against wisecracking greasers like you, probably."

"He was, huh? Where is old Dal now anyway?" Two-Bit asked. Before any of them could answer, Tim Shepard appeared beside Melody's seat.

"Yeah, where is Dally?" he asked. Melody jumped slightly at his sudden appearance.

"Jesus Christ, Shepard." She mumbled, glaring at him. But he ignored her, determined to get an answer to his question. Pony quickly glanced at Mel before looking back at Shepard.

"He left." Ponyboy said. But Tim wasn't at all convinced.

"I know he slashed my tires!" He accused. Pony sighed and turned to the others.

"Look, Tim, he left. You guys seen Dally?" Ponyboy said. He subtly shook his head and winked. The girls shook their heads.

"I know he's around here somewhere." Shepard said, looking around. Mel groaned in frustration.

"I haven't seen him since the other night Tim. Look, I have his blade see? He bust it up the other night." Melody said, showing that Dally's blade was indeed broken.

"Yeah well, I'll be looking for him." Tim said before walking off. Mel smiled wickedly.

"Since when do you have Dal's blade?" Ponyboy asked.

"Since I made him trade it for mine before he left." Mel said proudly.

"So Dal slashed Shepard's tires with your blade?" Johnny wondered.

"Probably" Mel said, shrugging her shoulders happily. Two-Bit jumped out of his seat and wrapped his arms around Melody's shoulders.

"Man, I knew there was a reason I love this girl so much!" he said, kissing her cheek. Mel grinend and shoved him away from her.

"Uh, Ponyboy, Come with me to get some Cokes and popcorn." Cherry asked.

"Sure. You guys want some?" Pony asked.

"I do." Marcia said.

"Yeah, me, too. Get Johnny some, too. I'm buying." Two-Bit said, reaching into his pocket and pulled out some spare change. Ponyboy took it and looked to Melody. She shook her head. Ponyboy nodded and walked with Cherry out to the concession stand.

"So did you get everything done today, or just downed a few six packs?" Mel asked Two-Bit . He merely grinned.

"Well I did down a couple of six packs...but you'd be surprised. Scott and I got a lot done, believe it or not." He said. Mel cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Really?" she asked. Two-Bit nodded.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with what you guys were doing in the backyard with the power tools, would it?" Mel wondered. Again, Two-Bit grinned.

"If Soda didn't tell you there's no way in hell I am." He laughed. Mel groaned in annoyance.

"Well what can you tell me?" she asked.

"We're planning what we're gonna do once the baby's born." Two-Bit said. "Like, living wise."

"Really?" Mel asked. It was both surprising and amazing to hear Two-Bit talking so seriously about everything to do with the baby.

"I'm probably gonna move in with Scott and Kathy. There's more room for the baby and all and it gives my mom a break every now and then since she won't have to worry about me so much." Two-Bit explained.

"Well, you might be an idiot, but you are sweet." Mel laughed. Two-Bit smiled.

"Well, I do try." He said. "Scott was also talking about when we should start getting a nursery ready. It's gonna take a little while to get money and other things together for a crib and all that, and Mom's got some stuff left from when Teeny was born, so we should really get a move on soon. Things like organising everything and painting...we were gonna ask Ponyboy if he would help with that."

"He'd love that." Mel smiled.

"I know. We're gonna need everyone's help with painting and decorating and building...and keeping Kathy out of the way while we get it all done. We're gonna surprise her with it." Two-Bit said. He smiled at her then leaned forward and started a conversation with Marcia.

Mel couldn't help but smile at her best friend. He had grown up so much that it was scary, but inevitable. She was just glad that he finally saw sense and was excited about everything. Two-Bit really was growing up. That thought brought Mel back to her current problem. Perhaps if Two-Bit of all people was able to grow up...maybe it was time for her too.

oOoOoOoOoOo

After the movie, the boys offered to walk the girls home since they were without a car. As much as it annoyed her, Mel couldn't really refuse. It was only about twenty miles away, and she knew it was the right thing to do. So Mel simply kept her mouth shut as she walked with Johnny a little further ahead. Two-Bit and Marcia were having a conversation a little way behind them and Ponyboy fell to the back of the group talking with Cherry.

"You okay?" Johnny's voice broke through Mel's thoughts.

"Huh?" Mel asked, looking over at him.

"I asked if you were okay. You seemed like you were a million miles away or something." Johnny noted. Mel smiled and shook her head.

"Just thinking is all." She said. "Got my head in the clouds as usual."

Johnny smiled softly and nodded as they continued walking. Before she could get caught up anymore, Pony's voice caught Mel's attention.

"He ain't like Soda and he sure ain't like me. He can't stand me. I bet he'd like to put me in a boy's home, except Soda and Mel won't let him." He said angrily. The others stopped walking just in time to hear this little outburst.

"What are you talking about Ponyboy?" Two-Bit asked.

"Come on, Pony. You all get along fine." Johnny said.

"No, we don't. Shut up 'cause you ain't wanted at home neither." Pony shouted. Melody looked at her brother in complete disbelief.

"Ponyboy!" Mel scolded. She couldn't believe he would talk to anyone like that, angry or not, especially Johnny.

"You shut your mouth!" Two-Bit warned, shoving Pony's shoulder a little. Pony stopped for a minute and breathed. He sighed, realizing what he had actually said, and turned to Johnny.

"I'm sorry, I just got a little mad." Pony said. Johnny just shrugged.

"That's all right. Don't worry about it." He said. Pony nodded sadly and they continued walking. A bright set of headlights casted their shadows on the pavement as they walked. Cherry looked behind them and sighed.

"Oh, no. Marcia! Look who's coming!" she said. The others stopped and turned around. Marcia's eyes widened as she realised who it was.

"Who is it? The F.B.I.?" Two-Bit asked, trying to make light of the situation. Cherry grimaced and shook her head.

"No," she said bleakly, "it's Randy and Bob."

"And," Two-Bit added grimly, "a few other of the socially elite checkered-shirt set"

Cherry and Marcia stood frozen to the spot as a couple of guys stumbled drunkenly out of the blue mustang. Mel and Johnny kept to the shadows a little.

"Cherry, what's going on? What are you doing? One of them asked. Two-Bit and Mel recognised him from the night of the dance."Just because we got a little drunk…"

"You call reeling and passing out on the streets "a little"?" Cherry screamed. Johnny noticed that one had rings on his fingers. He turned away and hid in the shadows.

"What is it?" Mel whispered.

"He's got rings." Johnny said. Mel sighed and held him close. Glancing at the back of the car, she noticed there were two more of the m in the back seat. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she recognised one of them.

"He's with them." She whispered to Johnny. "It's Greene."

"I've told you before, I'm never going out with you when you're drinking!"

"That's no reason to be with these bums." The other Soc said.

"Who're you calling bums, pal?" Two-Bit asked, taking a menacing stance.

"You!" the soc said, knocking Two-Bit's jacket off Marcia's shoulders.

"We got two more of us in the back seat." He warned. Two-Bit grabbed a nearby pop bottle and smashed it against the fence before handing it to Ponyboy, then flipping out his prized switchblade.

"Pity the back seat!" he said.

"We'll go with you." Cherry screamed all of a sudden.

"Why? We ain't scared of these bastards." Two-Bit said.

"I hate fights." She cried. The Socs, pleased with her answer, grinned smugly at Two-Bit and headed back towards the car. Marcia sent a small apologetic glance at Two-Bit then turned and followed the guys to the car. Cherry looked over her shoulder at them before walking over to Ponyboy.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly.

"I couldn't use this. I could never cut no one." Pony said softly, throwing the bottle aside.

"Cherry! Come on."

"Look, If I see you in school and I don't say hi, please don't take it personal." Cherry said to him. The sentence almost broke Ponyboy's heart, but he knew it was the truth.

"Yeah, I know." Ponyboy said.

"You're a nice boy and all..."

"It's okay." Pony said, cutting her off. he didn't wanna hear any more excuses. Without another word, Cherry turned on her heel and ran towards the car. Ponyboy stood there silently, watching the car pull away. When it was almost out of sight, Mel walked over to her brother, wrapping her arm around his shoulders.

"You alright, baby?" she asked. Ponyboy nodded and they continued walking. Before they knew it they had made it to their neighbourhood. Silence had fallen

"Those are two of the best-looking girls I've ever seen." Two-Bit said before pulling a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and chewing it up and spitting it out.

"What was that?" Johnny asked.

"Marcia's number. Probably fake, too. I must have been out of my mind to ask her." Two-Bit said. "Girl like that would never go out with me."

"I'm surprised you even asked her…she wasn't even a blonde!" Mel laughed. Two-Bit shook his head and laughed.

"You going home, Johnnycake?" Pony asked. The other boy shrugged his shoulders. Even from halfway down the street the yelling and sounds of things breaking could be heard coming from the Cade house. Johnny ran up to his front door and listened in, debating whether or not to go inside. After a moment of screeching and yelling, he decided against it. A small breeze blew a hat down by their feet. Two-Bit chased after it like a small child and caught it.

"I got me a new hat!" he said excitedly, parading around like a lunatic.

"You're crazy!" Ponyboy laughed.

"I don't know why I handed you that broken bottle. You never would have used it." Two-Bit said.

"I might have." Pony shrugged. "Where you headed?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'll go play snooker or get rip-roaring drunk." Two-Bit shrugged.

"You headed to Buck's?" Mel asked.

"Probably."

"I'm meeting up with Dal there, I'll walk with you." She said.

"Sure thing Milady." Two-Bit joked, holding his arm out for her. Mel smiled and accepted his arm, turning toward the two boys.

"You two gonna be okay heading home?" She asked. Both boys nodded their head.

"Alright, well you boys get home real quick now you hear? I don't want Darren getting pissed off over nothing" Mel told the two younger boys. The two nodded once again.

"And Pony, tell Darry and Soda I'll see them tomorrow. They know I'm headin to Buck's." She told her brother

"We'll see you later!" Two-Bit shouted as he and Melody ran off down the street.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The party was already well in full swing by the time Mel and Two-Bit arrived. In fact, there were already people passed out on the front lawn. After all, it was Buck's.

The music was blasting some god-awful Hank Williams song that sounded an awful lot like nails on a chalkboard. It was a real wonder how Buck could keep all those people coming back night after night with that trash playing all the time.

"I'm gonna go find Dally." Mel yelled over the noise. Two-Bit nodded, miraculously bopping his head to the music.

"I'll go play a couple of rounds of pool. Gotta be up early tomorrow to take Kathy to her appointment." He said. "I'll see you later."

Mel nodded and waved to him as she watched him get lost in the crowd. Scanning the hordes of people, Mel kept an eye out for Dally, but so far no such luck. She wandered over to the bar where Buck was busy setting up a round for someone.

"Hey Buck." Mel said, leaning up against the side of the bar.

"Curtis." Buck nodded.

"You seen Dally 'round here?" Mel wondered.

"He's up in his room." Buck said. Mel leaned over the bar and grabbed a couple of nears that were in reach. She said thanks and weaved between the masses of people and headed up the stairs. When she reached Dal's room, she found a makeshift 'do not disturb' sign on the door. Mel laughed quietly to herself; how was that possible with a twenty four hour party going on downstairs?

Pushing the door open with her arm, Mel found Dal lying on the bed with his shirt of, a couple of bruises forming on his chest.

"Well, you look well, don't you?" she said sarcastically. Dal groaned and opened one eye, glancing up at her before shutting it again.

"Caught up with Shepard." Dal said. "He blamed me for slashing his tyres."

"But you did slash his tires." Mel pointed out, handing him one of the beers and sitting down on the edge of the mattress.

"That's beside the point." Dal said. "I think I bruised a couple of ribs."

Mel sighed and shook her head and grabbed one of the cigarettes Dal had on the bedside table and stood on the bed, climbing over him and sitting down on the other side of the bed.

"You're a moron." She said simply, taking a sip of her beer. She felt her eyes growing heavy as she struggled to stay awake.

"You tired?" Dal asked, looking up at her. Mel shook her head but failed to hide the yawn that escaped her mouth. Dal grinned tiredly and grabbed the beer and cigarette out of her hand, despite her protests.

"Go to sleep." Dal ordered. Mel shook her head and got up off the bed.

"I gotta get changed." She said. She looked through the drawers and pulled out one of Dal's old shirts that he kept there. After changing, Dal moved over and let her in the bed. Before too long, the two were fast asleep.


	67. It's gonna be okay, right?

A loud banging at the door woke Dally from his sleep. No doubt it was just some drunken ass from downstairs come to annoy him for some stupid reason. He knew if he just ignored it they would eventually get bored or find something else to do and leave him to get back to sleep. Sufficiently happy with his own reasoning, Dally settled down beside Mel once more, ready to fall asleep again.

Unfortunately for him, and much to his frustration, the idiot on the other side of the door didn't go away; they just kept knocking; getting louder and louder every time.

"What?" Dal called out, hoping his aggravated voice would make them second guess giving a reply. Once again, no such luck. The door opened and Buck stuck his head through the door. The cheap music that was blasting downstairs came flooding through the door, instead of the usual semi-dull echo through the walls. Dal had to stop himself from wincing; Hank Williams really was wasn't the ideal thing to hear after waking up...then again, neither was a drunk Buck Merrill.

"There's a couple'a kids downstairs askin' for you." He slurred slightly.

"So?" Dal wondered sharply. He honestly didn't care if it was the President of the United States coming to see him; all he wanted was to sleep.

"I told them you were busy...but they wouldn't leave." Buck said. "They said it was something about Horse boy and..."

That got Dal's attention.

"Ponyboy?" he asked, sitting up a little. Buck nodded.

"Yeah, that...Ponyboy and Johnny." He said.

Dally couldn't understand it. Those boys knew that Darry would have a stroke or something if they ever got within two feet of Buck's...so why were they there? Sighing to himself, Dal moved Mel's arm from around his waist and got out of the bed. He pulled open the door causing Buck to stumble a little and made his way downstairs.

"Where are they?" Dal asked, searching around through the smoke haze and crowds of drunken bodies.

"Out the front." Buck said, pointing towards the door as he started toward the bar.

"Didn't even let them in the door?" Dal asked rolling his eyes as he made his way over to the front door. As he pulled it open, sure enough, Ponyboy and Johnny were standing there; freezing by the looks of it, and looking scared as hell.

"What do you guys want?" Dal asked, scratching his chest.

"Johnny killed a Soc." Ponyboy said, rubbing his arms to try and stay warm. It took a few seconds for Dal to process what he had just said. He definitely wasn't expecting something like that.

It just didn't seem right; Johnny...their Johnny...killed a soc? His eyes went from the younger boy to Johnny; his eyes on the ground, looking as though he was about to be sick.

"What?" He asked in disbelief. His eyes studied the two closer...there was no way they were fooling around; especially after taking a good look at the two of them. Dal sighed and scratched the back of his neck; opening the door wider for them.

"All right, good for you. Let's go." He said, putting his hand on Johnny's shoulder reassuringly, trying to get the kid to stop shaking.

"We thought you could get us out, if anyone could." Johnny said. "I'm sorry to get you away from this party and all, but I didn't know what to do." Dally sighed and shook his head.

"Nah, I was just trying to get some sleep. I got in a fight with Shepard tonight." Dal explained. "Wait a minute, let me see what we can do about this mess. Get in."

Dal grabbed both boys by their shirts and pulled them out of the doorway into the house. The two looked around, trying to take everything in; the nerve-grating music, the smell of stale booze and cigarette smoke, the hordes of drunken men and women playing cards, stumbling around and dancing in what little room there was left on the floor.

"Ponyboy, are you wet?" Dal asked, noticing the boy's soaked shirt. Ponyboy shrugged.

"I'm okay." He said. Dal rolled his eyes and motioned for the two to follow him upstairs.

"You'll die of pneumonia before the cops ever get you." He said, shaking his head. The two boys slowly followed Dal up the stairs, dodging passed out bodies and couples deciding it was a fine place to suck face.

"Hey Dal, did Mel come find you?" Ponyboy asked. Dal didn't turn around, but nodded his head.

"Yeah, she's asleep upstairs." he said. Ponyboy stopped walking, almost losing his balance on a step and looked up at the older boy in complete shock.

"Man, what if she wakes up? She's gonna freak out about this, and then I don't..." He said. Dally waved him off.

"Kid, don't worry about it. If she can sleep through that shit playing downstairs all night, then she can sleep through anything." He said. "I swear that girl could sleep through a rumble…not that she'd want to."

They climbed the last of the stairs and followed Dal to one of the doors on the right. As quietly as he could, Dal opened the door and made sure the Melody was fully asleep. Seeing her curled up under the covers, clutching the pillow tight, fast asleep was reason enough for Dal to make sure she was out cold enough to let the other two in.

Ponyboy looked to the bed and saw his sister lying there, wearing what looked like Dally's shirt. He never thought that he would be more thankful for the fact that she was a heavy sleeper. Carefully, he sat down on the edge of the bed. She looked so calm and peaceful lying there; he didn't even want to imagine what would happen if she woke up.

"Hey, stupid, take your sweatshirt off, will ya man? You're gonna freeze to death." Dally said, heading over to search through one of the dressers. Ponyboy sighed and peeled his shirt off, happy to get the soaking material off his skin. He tossed it to the floor and rubbed his arms, trying to get a little more feeling into them.

"Man, I wish I had a weed now." Johnny said. He was about to say something else when Dally pulled something out of the dresser. It was a gun. He pointed it to the ground, making sure that it was fully loaded, before handing it to Johnny. The younger boy just stared at it, not knowing exactly what to do with it.

"Don't point the thing at me. It's loaded." Dally said. Both Ponyboy and Johnny couldn't tear their eyes away from the gun. Sure, they had seen them in movies and such, and knew when other guys on their side of town were caught with them...but they never, not in a million years, ever thought that they would have to use one.

Not paying attention to the two, Dally wandered over to the table and pulled out a stack of notes. He counted some out before handing some to Johnny. Dal opened his mouth to say something when they heard a noise coming from the bed. All three turned to see Melody yawning and turning over on the bed. Lucky for them, she was still fast asleep.

"Alright, there's fifty bucks." Dally said. He craned his neck to get a better look at the sleeping girl and ran his hand through his hair.

"Look, I'm not anxious to tell her and your brothers about this and get my head kicked in." Dally said, sitting back onto the bed.

"Then don't tell them." Ponyboy said. Dally looked at him then grabbed an old shirt off the ground.

"Here, it's Buck's. It's a little big on you but at least it's dry." He said, tossing it to Ponyboy. The younger boy smiled in thanks and put the shirt on. It was huge, but it was dry and it was warm, so Ponyboy couldn't really be fussy. Johnny stood by, nervously biting his fingernails as a million things raced through his mind. Dally looked up at him and sighed again.

"Come here." he said, pulling the shaking boy down by his jacket so that they were all looking eye-to-eye. Dal was quiet for a moment; his mind trying to piece together possibly courses.

"Take the 315 train to Windrixville. It's a freight." He finally instructed. "There's an abandoned church on top of Jay Mountain. There's a pump in the back, so you don't have to worry about water." He said, putting a cigarette to his lips and striking a match. Both Johnny and Pony nodded to show that they understood. Dally saw how shaken up Johnny was and passed him his smoke and pointed to the money in Johnny's hand.

"Get a week's supply of food as soon as you get there, before the story gets out. Then don't so much as stick your noses out the door. Am I clear?" He asked. Both boys nodded again. Dal sighed and nodded his head.

"I'll be there when everything is cool." He said. He looked at Ponyboy and slapped him on the back.

"Hey, relax buddy. It'll work out." He said. Ponyboy nodded and took the cigarette from Johnny. Dally looked over at his sleeping girlfriend then stared at the roof.

"I thought New York was the only place I'd end up in a murder wrap." He said. "Jesus Christ!"

At the word "murder," Johnny made a small noise in his throat and shuddered.

"It's gonna be okay...right Dal?" Ponyboy asked. Dal looked at him and sighed deeply.

"Yeah kid...it's gonna be okay." He said. Ponyboy nodded, happy with the answer. But for some reason, Dally himself couldn't find the same reassurance in his own words. Shaking the thought away, he got up and handed Johnny a half pack of cigarettes before he told them to grab everything they needed and to follow him back downstairs.

Dally walked the two back to the door, turning off the porch light before they stepped out. "Git goin'!" He messed up Johnny's hair. "Take care, kid." he said softly.

"Thanks Dally." Johnny said. And with that, the two boys ran out into the darkness. Dally stood there on the porch for the longest time, staring out into the darkness. Whether or not it was for his own reassurance or not...

"It's gonna be okay..."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Kathy sighed to herself, refusing to look at her boyfriend for fear of a headache. For the last twenty minutes he had been pacing back and forth as they waited for the doctor.

"Two-Bit, honey... stop pacing!" she said. Two-Bit stopped and looked at her sheepishly.

"Sorry...I'm just..." He stuttered. Kathy smiled and waved him over, nodding to the seat beside her. He walked over and sat down on the vacant chair, taking her outstretched hand.

"I know, sweetie." She soothed.

"What if something's wrong...or-or..."

"It's okay to be scared, honey. But you wearing a hole in the floor ain't gonna make the doctor come in here any faster."

"If only..." Two-Bit mumbled, shoving his hands into his pocket.

Not a moment later, the door opened, and Doctor Berman walked in reading off of a clipboard. Suddenly, Two-Bit didn't really want the doctor to be there so soon. If he thought he was nervous waiting; those feelings only got worse when the guy walked in through the door.

"Well, Ms Rawlins, it seems that everything is fine and under control at the moment." He smiled. A wave of relief washed over Kathy as she turned to look at Two-Bit. He looked somewhat apprehensive, almost as if he was telling himself not to smile too soon.

"So, everything's...okay? I mean, it's all good and all?" Two-Bit wondered somewhat nervously. Kathy couldn't help but smile at him as Doctor Berman chuckled.

"Yes, uhh..." he started.

"Keith. I'm the father."

Kathy turned her head so fast to look at him, it's a wonder she didn't do permanent damage to her neck. Had he really just addressed himself by his first name? She couldn't remember the last time he even mentioned his real name.

"Well Keith, Kathy's been doing everything she's supposed to, and by the looks of things, everything is as it should be at this stage. So, yes, it's all good and all." Doctor Berman answered. Two-Bit let out a sigh of relief as he finally allowed himself to smile.

"Good. Uhh... sorry about that, Doc." Two-Bit said. The elder man waved him off.

"Not at all. It's not uncommon for fathers to be a little apprehensive, particularly first time fathers. It's perfectly normal."

Two-Bit grinned and squeezed Kathy's hand, not noticing the look of slight confusion on her face. She shook her head, reminding herself to talk about it later.

"Okay. Well, let's see your baby, shall we?" Doctor Berman asked. Kathy smiled and nodded as she got a better grip on Two-Bit's hand.

"You okay?" she asked him, as the Doctor set everything up for the sonogram. Two-Bit smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Still a little nervous..." he admitted.

"You've been to my appointments before." Kathy said.

"Yeah...but not like this." Two-Bit said. Kathy couldn't help smiling. It was still such a shock about how he was reacting to it all, especially in comparison to only a few months before. Things were still a little patchy, they couldn't get over it all that fast, but he was trying harder than anything to make up for it. Kathy was sure that before they knew it, they could put it all behind them and enjoy the beautiful baby they would have soon.

"Alright...and there's your baby."

Both Kathy and Two-Bit tore their eyes away from each other and looked to the screen. There, right in front of them on the screen, was their baby.

"Oh my god..." Kathy whispered, already feeling the tears running down her cheeks.

"Would ya' look at that?" Two-Bit said in awe. Kathy smiled proudly and squeezed Two-Bit's hand.

"That's our baby, Two-Bit."She said. Two-Bit said nothing, but brought their hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

Doctor Berman left the couple to take in the information for a moment while he checked the charts.

"Now, Kathy you're just over 6 months, correct?" he asked.

"Yes, that's right." Kathy replied.

"Well, there is the possibility, although it's entirely up to the two of you, that you two are able to find out the gender of your child." Doctor Berman said.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Waking up the next morning, it took Melody a few seconds to register where she was. She looked around the room and soon remembered that she was in Dal's room at Buck's. Stretching, she noticed that he wasn't beside her in the bed.

She didn't have to look too far, however. As she sat up, Mel found Dal staring by the window. She got out of bed and stretched a little more as she walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"Morning." she said, kissing his cheek.

"Hey." he said; he didn't look at her, he didn't move...just kept staring blankly out the window. Mel was confused; he wasn't usually acting like this. Something was bothering him.

"Something's wrong." She said, pulling her arms away from him. Dal shook his head once. Mel rolled her eyes before sighing.

"Baby, what's wrong?" she asked, leaning her head against his arm. Before Dal could answer there was a knock at the door.

"Telephone Mel, it's your brother." Buck's voice called from the hallway. Mel let out a frustrated sigh.

"Which one?" Mel called back. In all honesty, she really didn't wanna talk to anyone; not even one of her brothers. All she wanted to do was find out what was wrong with Dally then go back to sleep in his arms until at least that afternoon.

"Soda." said Buck. Mel sighed and moved away from Dal. She knew if she didn't talk to him, he would most likely keep ringing until she did. It was better to get whatever it was out of the way now so that she could get back upstairs.

"Alright. Give me a minute." she called out. She grabbed her jeans from the floor and threw them on, not wanting to risk whoever could be left down stairs. She was going to grab her shirt off the floor by the bed, when something caught her eye.

"Is that…Ponyboy's shirt?" she asked, holding up a damp shirt. It was weird, but she knew her little brother had a shirt exactly like that...with a similar tear on the back from a rough game of football.

"Huh…oh, I don't know. Probably just looks like it." Dal said, pretending not to pay attention to her. Mel eyed him suspiciously, wondering why he was being so evasive, but decided to let it go; she would find everything out when they came back upstairs.

Yawning, she headed downstairs, closely followed by Dal who was throwing a shirt over his head. Reaching the bottom step, she wandered over to the bar and took the phone out of Buck's outstretched hand.

"Soda?" she said. "Make it quick cause I'm tired and just..."

'_Mel, you gotta come home now.'_

"What? Why?" Mel asked sleepily.

'_Please, just come home.'_

Just by the tone of his voice, Mel could tell that something was wrong. Her brother never sounded this panicky, especially over the phone.

"Soda, what happened?" Mel asked, suddenly more awake.

'_I can't explain over the phone.'_

"Ok. Ok, I'm on my way." she sighed, pushed her hair out of her face. Dally was standing next to her when she hung up the phone.

"What's wrong?" he asked. He didn't need to ask; he knew. But, for his safety and theirs, he put up a blank face; something that came almost naturally to him after all these years. Perhaps, if he was lucky, it could be something else and they didn't know yet. But he knew he was only kidding himself.

"I don't know, but I gotta get home. Can I get a lift?" she asked him. Dally nodded without a word and went behind the bar, grabbing the keys to Buck's car. Without another word, the two headed out, dodging the remaining passed out bodies, and headed to the car; with Mel running ahead, just a little faster.

The car ride was completely silent. Mel looked out the window, trying to think of a possible reason why her twin sounded so desperate on the phone. What had happened since she last saw him? The desperation and tone of his voice filled her with the worst feeling as she wished she was already home.

Dal on the other hand, had so many thoughts going through his mind, it was a wonder he could drive right. He knew it was inevitable that they would know the boys were gone, but he wondered how long it would take for the news of the Soc's death to get around. More importantly, how long will it take for one of those bastards to start talking and point the finger at the kids.

A drive that should only have taken a few minutes felt like a lifetime. When Mel and Dal finally pulled up at the house, they found Soda and Darry waiting for them on the porch steps. Even from the driveway, it was easy to see that neither of them looked as if they had had a wink of sleep.

Dal didn't even have the chance to turn the engine off before Melody was out of her seat and half out the car. She pushed her way through the rusty front gate and was at the bottom of the porch steps in seconds.

"What happened?" she asked, cutting right to the point. Darry and Soda looked at each other silently. Soda sighed and looked to the ground, hiding his red, blood-shot eyes.

"Guys, come on...you're scaring me here!" Mel complained, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Pony's gone."

Dally froze at his spot at the gate as Soda finally spoke those dreaded words. Mel looked at her twin brother with a blank stare; as if she didn't really understand what he had just told her.

"What?" she asked quietly, after a moment's silence. Soda lifted his head to look at her. Mel prayed that there was something else behind his words. There had to be. All she had to do was wait for him to say it.

"He ran away." Her brother said. Mel shook her head, not wanting to believe a word of it. Her baby brother wouldn't do a thing like that; he had no reason to. Why would they think something like that?

"No." She said, walking past her twin up the steps.

"Mel..." Darry started, reaching out to her; but Mel moved out of his way and inside the house. The two Curtis siblings looked at each other before scrambling to their feet to follow her inside; not even noticing that Dal was still frozen at the front gate.

"Why? Why would he do that?" Mel questioned. "He wouldn't do that! I mean, there's no reason for him to just leave!"

"He ran away last night after…" Darry started, then stopped, unsure how to tell her. Mel stopped walking and turned to face her older brother slowly. Soda stood back, bracing himself. He already knew that this wouldn't turn out well.

"Darry, be careful." He warned as Dal walked up the steps and hung in the doorway silently.

"After what?" Mel asked slowly. Darry hesitated; rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"After I..."

"Darry!"

"After I hit him." Darry said quietly. Dally's eyes widened; that was a bit of news he wasn't expecting.

"YOU DID WHAT!" Mel screamed, looking murderously at her brother. All three guys flinched at her venomous tone.

"I didn't mean to." Darry protested. "He was out till two this morning in the lot and I was worried. when he got home we started arguing and I shoved him."

"So you shoved him?" She yelled. "Darry, are you out of your freaking mind? The kid comes home late you talk to him, maybe even ground him! You don't go shoving him around! Jesus Christ!"

Melody sighed and collapsed onto the couch, resting her head against the back of the couch.

"He didn't mean it Mel." Soda said, sitting down beside her. "He felt awful sorry right after, didn't you Dar?"

"Did you guys even think about running after him or anything?" Mel wondered. Darry sat down in the armchair and let his head hang.

"I didn't mean it..." he said quietly. "I was worried...he just..."

Mel sat silently beside her brother on the couch; her face was numb and expressionless. How the hell could this happen? If she had only gone home with him. Soon, something in her snapped; her tough girl facade went out the window. She leaned forward and rested her head in her hands, finally breaking down and crying.

"This is all my fault." She sobbed. Sods sighed and scooted closer to her, rubbing her back comfortingly.

"How could this be your fault?" he asked. "You weren't even here."

"Exactly. I should have gone home with him. But I went with Two-Bit to Buck's last night to meet up with Dally." She said. Darry sighed and got out of the armchair; walking over to sit by his sister.

"Honey, this isn't your fault. You cannot blame yourself for this, ok?" he said. Mel sighed, not believing him; yet she nodded solemnly for his sake. Soda got up and started pacing the floor, muttering to himself.

"Let's think about this logically. They can't have gone very far." said Soda. Mel stopped sobbing and looked up at her brother.

"They?" she asked quietly. Darry sighed deeply.

"…Johnny's gone too." He said. Mel felt her heart break instantly as a new stream of tears fell down her face; burning like acid. Her two little brothers were out there somewhere, when they should be at home with them.

Meanwhile, still hanging over by the door, Dal wasn't paying attention to anything that was being said amongst the siblings. The events of the night before were playing over in his mind.

"…What do you think Dal?" Dal snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of his name. All three siblings were looking at him, waiting for his thoughts.

"Don't worry, they'll be fine." he said evasively. Mel looked at Soda confused before turning her attention back to her boyfriend.

"Dal?" she questioned. Dal met her eyes for a second before looking away, avoiding her gaze.

"I'm gonna get a drink." He said, heading into the kitchen. When he was out of sight, Darry turned to his younger siblings.

"What the hell was that about?" he asked.

"I have no idea." Mel said, still shocked at Dal's behaviour. Soda looked at the kitchen doorway before turning back to the others.

"You don't think..."

"Hey guys! Guess what?" Two-Bit exclaimed as he and Kathy made their way inside the house. But one look at the looks on everyone's faces stopped them in their tracks.

"What's wrong?" Kathy wondered, worried at the sight of her best friends in tears.

"Pony and Johnny are missing." said Mel quietly. Her face was stained with tears, her eyes red and sore from crying.

"What?" the two said at the same time.

"Ponyboy ran away last night. Darry and him had a fight when he got home late and he left. We only assume he met up with Johnny after that." Soda explained. Both Kathy and Two-Bit looked at the other's in complete shock. Both wanted to do something; to go and comfort them or something...but they couldn't. They couldn't move or speak or do anything other than stand there.

"What was your news?" Mel asked, wiping her eyes. Kathy looked at her friend for a moment before shaking her head.

"Oh. It's nothing...it can wait." She said.

"No what was it?" Mel pushed. But Kathy was adamant.

"Really, its fine." She insisted. "Besides, we've got other things to worry about at the moment."

"A little good news might help, Kath." Soda suggested. Kathy looked at Two-Bit who shrugged slightly and nodded.

" We went to the doctor today...we found out what the baby is." He said. Despite the tension and sadness in the room, this caught the attention of the three Curtis children instantly; even Dally pretended not to listen as stuck his head in from the kitchen.

"Well, what are we having?" Soda wondered.

"It's a baby girl." Kathy said. Mel, who only just managed to stop crying, could feel more tears on the way as she got up from her seat on the couch and hugged Kathy tightly.

"Oh sweetie." Kathy said, noticing the fresh tears on the younger girl's face. Mel chuckled weakly and shook her head.

"No, no...these are happy tears." She insisted as she moved over to let Soda hug Kathy and pull Two-Bit into a hug. "Besides, it'll be nice to have another gal around here for once."

"Uhh...how about I go make some coffee, huh?" Kathy offered.

"I can do that, Kath..." Darry started, getting up off the chair; but the blonde waved him off.

"No you sit down. It's fine." She said. Darry sighed and smiled weakly in thanks as he sat back down.

Dally was casually leaning against the counter when Kathy entered the kitchen. She glanced at him for a moment before getting to work making the coffees.

"So how come you're hiding in here?" she asked offhandedly.

"I'm not hiding." Dally scoffed. Kathy looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Then why are you in here instead of being out there with your girlfriend and the rest of your family?" she questioned. Dal shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm not much use out there." He said. Kathy sighed and turned to face him. She studied him for a moment. Dally tensed under her gaze; he knew it was hard to get things past her. But he was a good enough liar to do it...he knew he was.

"What are you not telling me?" she asked.

"Nothing." Dally shrugged. Kathy sighed and went back to making coffee. Dal left his empty mug on the counter before heading back into the living room to join the others. He found an empty spot beside Melody on the couch, near where Two-Bit had decided to sit on the floor by her feet.

"You okay there, Dal?" Darry wondered as he sat down on the couch.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Dal said.

The sound of hurried footsteps making their way up the porch steps caught everybody's attention. Soda craned his neck to see Steve throw over the screen door and run inside.

"Hey did you guys hear…" But that's as far as he got when he saw everyone gathered together with saddened looks on their faces.

"What's going on?" asked Steve, stuffing a rolled up newspaper into the waistband of his jeans.

"Pony and Johnny are missing." said Two-Bit said.

"What?" he asked. Darry proceeded to retell the events of the night before. Steve just stood there, taking it all in; not knowing whether to believe any of it. Mel still believed that she was to blame but the others kept reassuring her that she wasn't.

"Jesus...I can't believe it." Steve said, once the explanation was over.

"Thought you didn't care about Pony?" Dallas said dryly. Steve threw him a look.

"Sure, I can't stand the kid, but I wouldn't want anything to happen to him." He said.

"What were you gonna tell us?" asked Soda, ending an argument before it even had the chance to begin. Steve looked confused for a second before remembering the paper tucked in his waistband.

"The cops found some Soc dead by the fountain." Steve said, pulling out the paper. "It's all over the papers."

"Wait what?" Soda said. "Dead? Like...dead?"

"Pretty much, Buddy." Steve said. "Only he was stabbed...they're treating it as murder; according to the information giving by his friends who saw it all."

"Oh my god." Darry said. Steve nodded.

"It's all over town. So I did a little investigating." He said, somewhat proudly. "Turns out the guy's name was Bob Sheldon."

"Bob Sheldon...the name sounds familiar." Kathy said.

"It should. He was a Big-Time Soc alright. He was the guy that was causin' all that trouble for us at the dance that time."

"Wait...the one at the dance?" Two-Bit repeated.

"Yeah."

"Had a lot of rings?"

"Yeah, that's the one." Steve said. Two-Bit cursed under his breath and turned to Melody, who had gone significantly pale.

"The one from last night...Cherry's guy." He told her. Mel looked at him in disbelief.

"Last night..." she started.

"Wait, what happened last night?" Darry asked.

"When we were walking home from the movies; we were walking these two girls home. I'm guessin' Pony was kinda sweet on one of them. Anyway, their boyfriends turned up and threatened to start something. The girls pulled them away before anything could...pity kind of."

"Well obviously not since the guy turns up dead this morning!" Kathy exclaimed, bringing in cups of coffee for everyone before disappearing back into the kitchen. "God knows they could have hauled you in because of it."

"They still might." Steve said.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Dally wondered. There was no way that they could link it back to the family already...was there? Dal was sure he'd thought this through enough to prevent any of that.

"Coincidently, this Bob character happens...or happened to be the cousin of one super-Soc, Andrew Greene." Steve said.

Melody flinched at the name. If it were at all possible, she had gone paler at the mere Her hand went up and lightly touched the scar on her neck. Soda wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"But that was ages ago. " Soda said. "Surely the cops wouldn't pull us in for that?"

"I wouldn't put it past them...but that's not the only reason." Steve said.

"Wow, you really are Mr. Super Sleuth today, ain't ya?" Two-Bit said. Steve nodded.

"With something like this, you have to." He said, tossing the newspaper onto the coffee table.

"They have descriptions of the suspects on page three." He said. Darry looked at the younger boy questioningly as he picked up the paper and turned to the specific page.

"Police are looking...uhh... Male; Dark hair and skin, aged no older than seventeen, dressed in a jean ja...wait." Darry stopped and looked at Steve.

Steve nodded sadly, confirming Darry's suspicions. For the others, it didn't take them long to figure out who exactly they were talking about. Only one person that they knew could ever fit that description perfectly.

"No..." Mel said. "No, no, no, no...I refuse to believe it."

"Then you might not want to read on." Steve said. Darry took this as a sign to continue.

"Another male; reddish hair, taller, dressed in a slightly torn sweatshirt..." Once again, he drifted off before the end of the sentence. Mel laughed forcefully.

"Now I _really _don't believe it!" she said. Silence filled the room; none of them knew what to do or say.

"Ponyboy or Johnny would never, EVER kill somebody." Mel said.

"I agree, but..." Kathy said.

"What?" Darry said.

"Johnny carried a blade ever since the attack, right?" Kathy asked. The others nodded; wondering where she was headed with this. Suddenly, Steve realised what she was thinking.

"The Socs...if they initiated an attack...who knows what could have happened?" he said.

"Ponyboy didn't come home last night after what happened, did he Darry?" Two-Bit asked. The elder Curtis shook his head slowly. Mel couldn't let it all sink in; it was all too much. Her two little brothers were suspects in a murder case. She didn't want to believe it...but was it possible? What Steve and Kathy said, much to her horror, actually made sense. But they couldn't have...

She hated herself for not going home with them last night. She should have made sure she saw that they got home safely before she even considered going to meet up with Dally.

Dally...

He was acting weird, ever since that morning. Why was he acting like that? It was different than how he should have been acting...Mel silently wondered, on the slightest chance...did he know something?

"Jesus Christ." she said. She spoke slowly, her brain focusing on figuring out the where those boys were.

oOoOoOoOoOo

A few hours passed unknowingly for the gang; each still exactly where they were. None knew what to think, or say, or do...nothing. they didn't have a lead; they had no idea...they had nothing.

What Steve had said about the cops chasing them up would have to happen sooner or later, but it was preferable that they at least had something to go on before it happened.

Kathy was ordered off her feet by Two-Bit, Sodapop and Darry; much to her annoyance. She was now curled up in the arm chair, with Two-Bit sitting on the arm with his arms around her protectively.

Dal was still sitting beside Mel; his arm draped around her shoulders, holding her close. He had to admit, it was better than 'hiding' out in the kitchen, as Kathy had put it. Nothing really was said amongst them. People only spoke when spoken to; no more, no less.

However, the silence was once again disturbed by the sound of the front gate slamming, and hurried footsteps coming up the path to the house. Although they didn't admit it, everyone was grateful for the break of silence.

"Well, nothing like this to bring a gang together." Two-Bit said.

Not a moment later, Angela walked in; breathing heavily. Her eyes were filled with disbelief, as tears threatened to fall down her face at any moment. Darry moved from his spot against the wall and walked over to the younger girl.

"I guess the bastards weren't lying then." She said softly. Darry shook his head and put his arm around her.

"Did you run all this way?" he asked. Angela nodded, still trying to catch her breath properly. Soda got up off the couch and disappeared into the kitchen for a moment.

"I was heading over to the Dingo when I got word of it all. The town's going crazy. Have you guys heard anything?" She asked, looking at everyone before focusing on Darry. The elder Curtis shook his head sadly.

"What about you guys? Any news from your side of town?" Two-Bit wondered. Angela sighed and shook her head.

"Nothing yet. " she said sadly. Soda then returned and handed her a glass of water. Angie smiled in thanks and took a big sip before continuing.

"Tim's worried." She said.

"Well, we all are. I mean..." Soda started. But Angie shook her head.

"No, I mean...not just about the boys." She said. "He's worried for all of us."

"What do you mean, Angie?" Darry asked. Angie sighed and put her glass down on the table. She glanced down at the newspaper; still open on the boy's descriptions.

"This is the first time something like this has happened." She said. "People have been jumped; people have been hurt, badly - yeah people have died. But nobody has ever been killed."

It was now that they all understood her words. People had been hurt badly by those on the other side of town; Socs hurt Greasers and Greasers hurt Socs. One girl had been shot at the Dingo for getting caught in the way too. But nothing had ever happened like this; nobody had ever been killed - murdered in this war.

"The Socs will be out for us. They're gonna want revenge and they're gonna do what they can to get it. None of them will care whether it was us or not...none of us are safe anymore; not for a long while at least." Angie said sadly.

"Just when we thought things couldn't get worse with those bastards." Steve muttered.

"Alright, it's all going to work out." Darry said, taking control. "Angie, do you think you and your brothers might be able to keep watch over on your side?"

"Sure. Tim's already trying to come up with plans, especially if any Socs come by. And we'll figure something out for when the cops start coming by. The entire outfit's with you guys." The blonde said. Darry nodded in thanks.

"You can help us keep up with everything?" Soda asked.

"Of course." Angela said. "Tim thinks that the cops will take the next day or so to sort things out on the other side of town before they start heading over here. You guys probably have til tomorrow or so to get things under control."

"Tell your brother thanks. We really do appreciate it." Darry said.

"Hey, what are friends for?" Angie wondered with a small smile. "I gotta be heading back. I'll let you all know if we hear anything."

"Wait, you shouldn't be going alone." Darry said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys to the truck and tossed them to Steve.

"Drive her home, will ya?" he asked. Steve nodded and got up off the floor and walked outside to drive Angie home.

oOoOoOoOoOo

After sending Teeny to bed, and ringing Lynn to assure her that everything was fine, Kathy and Two-Bit were sitting on the couch.

"I just wish there was something we could do." Kathy said. Two-Bit sighed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to him.

"We just...sat there. We couldn't do anything...except refill the coffee mugs." She said.

"There wasn't anything we could do." Two-Bit reminded her. "If there was, we would have done it in a heartbeat."

Kathy remained quiet as they just sat there in silence; their minds going over the events of that day. Like she often did, Kathy found herself rubbing her stomach; their daughter.

"This...it shouldn't be like this." She said suddenly. "This between the Socs and us. It's not right."

"Hell, I can't remember a time when it wasn't like this." Two-Bit said solemnly. Kathy shook her head.

"We shouldn't have to raise our baby girl in the middle of all this... it's not fair." She said.

Silence fell upon the two once more. Two-Bit sat staring out at the wall in front of him. Never before had he ever had so many thoughts going though his head; aside from when he first found out what Kathy was pregnant. What she said just now, it was a good point. It wasn't fair that they were being forced to bring their daughter into a world where none of them could walk down the street without fear of being jumped or even worse. Being part of a gang meant that you look out for one another; and it felt as though they all had let Ponyboy and Johnnycakes down, big time. For Two-Bit, it felt as though if he couldn't watch out for his buddies, how would he be able to protect his little girl when she showed up?

He knew he still had a long way to go to prove, not only to Kathy and the others, but to himself, that he knew how to grow up and be a man. But there were a few things that he knew would be a start...

"Marry Me." He said suddenly. Kathy turned her head to look at him in complete surprise.

"What?"

"Marry me." He repeated.

"Two-Bit..." Kathy started.

"No, I know what you're gonna say." Two-Bit interrupted. "It's a stupid idea, I haven't thought it through..."

"Have you?" Kathy wondered. "You just asked me to marry you!"

"Well, why not? We love each other, right?" Two-Bit asked.

"Right..."

"And we're having a baby together, right?"

"Obviously... wait." Kathy said. "You're not doing this just cause of the baby, are you?"

"Well...not entirely." Two-Bit admitted.

"Two-Bit..." Kathy sighed.

"You know what...it would have happened a little later, possibly." Two-Bit defended. Kathy sighed and turned to face him properly.

"If I wasn't pregnant; if none of this had ever happened...think carefully; would you still be asking me this right now?" she wondered.

"Well, I..."

"You wouldn't. We both know that." Kathy said. "I told you before...this is for the long haul. It doesn't matter If we're married or not. Okay?"

"Yeah...okay." Two-Bit mumbled. Kathy smiled weakly and kissed his cheek.

"Besides, what you wanna marry me for?" she asked. "I ain't the marrying type. Just romance and Motherhood it seems."

"You know...that won't stop me from asking you again." Two-Bit winked. Kathy sighed and shook her head, settling down on his shoulder once again. She had no idea what was going through his head, but one thing she did know, was that he could be very persistent when he wanted to be.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Later that night, Mel couldn't sleep. She tried everything imaginable to help, yet nothing could ease her mind free of thoughts about her brother and Johnny. Instead, she made her way out side and stood out on the porch, resting her arms on the railings like she had so many times before.

She stared out at the darkened street before her; at nothingness. How could something like this happen? There was a little voice in the back of her mind telling her that she was to blame. No matter how many times the others told her otherwise, Melody could not shake the feeling of guilt she had.

"It's not your fault." A voice said behind her. Mel didn't bother turning around as Soda walked over and stood beside her.

"What makes you say that?" Mel asked quietly. "Freaky Twin Mind Powers?"

Soda laughed quietly and shook his head. He turned around, resting his back against the railings so he was looking at her.

"No. I say that because, despite it all, Melody Jean...I know you. Better than I know myself. " he said. "You swore to yourself that you would look after those boys, right?"

"Yeah, and look how that turned out." Mel replied. Soda sighed.

"You couldn't have stopped it." He said. "You can't stop every single bad thing from happening to them."

"I just... I wish we knew something." Mel said, almost inaudibly. "If they were okay. Just...something."

"I know, baby. I do too. But they're both smart boys...they'll be fine." Soda assured her. Mel sighed deeply and rested her head against her brother's shoulder.

"You really think Dal knows something?" she wondered. She felt Soda's shoulder's move as he breathed. He was quiet for a long while; both of them staring out into the night.

"You want the truth?" Soda finally asked.

"Yeah."

"I wouldn't put it past him." Soda said. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Yeah...I have a feeling...I think he knows a lot more than he's letting on."

Mel stood there silently, fighting back tears. She looped her arm through her brothers and held on tight; as if her entire life depended on it.

"You want the truth?" she asked in a shaky tone. Soda looked down at his sister and nodded.

"Yeah, I want the truth." He said.

"...I have the same feeling."


	68. Same Sunset

**A/N: Hey everyone! So sorry I haven't updated in a while but Uni has really started to take it's toll...and its only the second official week! That said, I'm not sure when I'm going to be able to update next, so I hope this chapter will do til then. I will work on some stuff whenever I can but it won't be for at least a fortnight. With that said, again, I hope this will be okay til then. [If not a certain friend of mine will probably keep reminding me to write instead of studying when we're at school ...you know who you are ;) ]**

**So, yeah - a bit happening in this chapter. I tried to make it as diverse but connected as possible - cause there's a lot happening in the next few chapters. I've also introduced a new character who will most likely play a much larger role later on. So...stay tuned.**

**So here I leave you for however long. Don't forget to let me know any thoughts, comments or questions of the like that you may have. Your support does keep this story going.**

**Enjoy! x **

The first few days following the boys' disappearance were unbearable. It seemed as though everything in life up until that moment had suddenly been put on hold; School, work, Kathy and Two-Bit's baby preparations; all of it merely thrown aside to be picked up again only when the two were home safe and sound where they belonged. Even Darry felt little need to go into work.

Like the Shepards had predicted, it took the gang about a day to do their own investigation before the cops began to snoop around. They began to search relentlessly around side of town; places that they knew Ponyboy and Johnny could have thought of to hide.

The first night every one of them sent hours searching around their entire area; all the places that they believed may or may not cross the boys' minds to go. By about four in the morning, the day's search had been put on hold as everyone finally called it a night and fell into bed. Even then, there was much protesting from the twins. Both Melody and Soda wanted to keep going; scout everywhere for a third or even fourth time But Darry wasn't having any of it. He practically had to lock the two of them in their rooms to keep them down for the night, even though he knew that none of them would be able to sleep.

The following morning, Darry called himself and the twins in sick from work and school and called the gang, as well as Tim and Angela over to sit down and talk properly. The house was silent with everyone still in shock from the previous day. No usual ruckus or people cracking jokes, breaking furniture or chasing each other around the house. No morning cartoons playing in the background, or chocolate cake and milk or beer combinations for breakfast. The entire gang of loud, rowdy kids was completely silent.

Darry took charge without a fuss; listening to every little piece of information that anyone knew or had heard. It was amazing how much those on their side of town were sticking together over something like this. Other outfits and people around town who undeniably knew it was Pony and Johnny's descriptions in the paper kept silent. Whispers had even been heard floating around town about their whereabouts, throwing people off the track.

As Steve spoke about something he heard on his way over that morning, Melody sat quietly in Soda's arms, staring blankly out the living room window. Her eyes were still red and sore from crying herself to sleep the night before. Her twin had found her sitting on her windowsill crying, looking as though she had been considering an escape to go and continue their search. Soda only just managed to convince her to get some sleep by carrying her to his own bed and holding her until dawn. It wasn't much, and it didn't still their fear for their little brothers, but it gave a small reassurance.

Melody desperately wished that this was just some terrible dream; that her brother and friend would just be at the movies or down at the Dingo and would be home in a matter of minutes. Only it wasn't a dream - it was a nightmare; one that she and the rest of her family were living, and there was no chance of waking up from it; not yet.

"Once the cops finish talking to the Soc's family and those guys that were there, they're gonna start coming round here." Shepard said. "None of us are in the clear; you guys are their family and gang so you'll be interrogated harder than anyone."

"What about those who weren't even there?" Two-Bit said, looking at Kathy. Surely they would go easy on someone who was almost five and a half months pregnant. Much to Two-Bit's disgust, Tim shook his head stiffly.

"The fuzz won't care whether you were there or not." he said. "They're not gonna care who you are; whether you're a guy, a chick, legal or even knocked up. They'll pull you in, by force if needed, and ask you anything. They won't hold back or nothing either."

"It'll be fine." Kathy said, patting her boyfriend's hand reassuringly. "None of us know anything, so we really don't have anything to hide."

Both Melody and Soda shared a look before glancing across the room where a tall figure stood leaning against the kitchen doorway. Dally had said nothing all morning; only when directly spoken to, and even then it was a few words at most. The two couldn't stop thinking about the conversation had the night they found out. Neither of them wanted to believe it, but his actions were only proving them more wrong by the minute. As much as it killed them both to think so; as both his girlfriend and friend, both Sodapop and Melody knew deep down that Dal was hiding something.

"Does anyone actually know anything?" Darry wondered. "Anybody around town?"

"Nobody's actually come up and said anything to us, I don't think." Angela said from her spot beside the twins. "I guess that's kind of a good sign, though; I mean, it means that the cops don't know much right now. But at the same time, neither do any of us."

"Meaning we're right back to square one." Kathy said sadly. "Exactly where we started yesterday."

"Some of the guys around our side have been spreading stuff; lettin' the right people hear what they _think_ that they want to hear." Steve added.

"Well, at least it'll buy us some time." Darry said, nodding to Steve appreciatively.

"Buy us time to do what, exactly?" Mel said, speaking up for the first time in hours. "There's only so much 'planning' we can do for something like this."

"We have to think about this properly." Darry started, but Mel wasn't letting him push her aside like that. She knew it was no longer a time for talking. It was a time for action.

"No." She said, pulling herself out of her brother's arms and up to her feet. "No, now is the time that we should be actually out there looking for them instead of sitting around here talking about it."

"We've looked almost everywhere..." Steve began.

"Jesus Christ! You guys are over-thinking this!" Mel cried. "If I know Ponyboy, and believe me I do, I know that if by chance he is still hiding around here, he is far too smart to stay in the same place. But then again, he's way too smart to actually stay around here."

That last part was spoken more to herself than addressing the others in the room. It was as if Mel had finally realised that perhaps her little brothers were really out of Tulsa; which was every kid's dream who lived there. Granted, the circumstances could have been better...

Melody snapped herself out of her thoughts and looked at everyone else. Every one of them was silent still, looking around, as if waiting for someone else to make the next move.

"Unbelievable." She said. "Well, I can't take this. I'm not going to just sit around here talking."

"Mel..."

But she wasn't going to listen. Instead, she stepped over bodies sitting on the floor and headed straight into her room, reappearing moments later with her jacket and shoes on.

"Anyone who wants to do something productive, feel free to come alone with me. Otherwise, have fun talking here." She snapped before turning and heading out the front door.

The rest of the gang stared out after her as they heard her throw open the front gate and make her way down the street. Soda and Darry looked over expectantly at Dally, still looming silently in the kitchen doorway. Surely he was able to go after her and try and talk some sense into her. But he merely turned around and headed out to the back yard for a cigarette.

Two-Bit sighed and squeezed Kathy's shoulder reassuringly before getting to his feet and started making his way out the front door to follow his best friend.

"Alright then." Darry said, taking charge once more. "You guys just...relax a little. Tim and I are gonna go talk to a few people."

The eldest Shepard nodded once and waited out on the front porch for Darry to finish things up before heading out. But Sodapop didn't notice; his complete attention was solely directed at one thing...

If he needed any more convincing that Dally was hiding something, that definitely did the job. It was now painfully obvious; Dally was hiding something. Whether he knew where they were, or what exactly happened, Soda wasn't sure. But he knew that whatever it was, Dally wasn't giving it up without a fight. Soda knew that there was surely some way that he might be able to get some information out of his buddy; if only he could think of something.

oOoOoOoOoOo

It took Two-Bit a little while to catch up to Melody; even then he was still having trouble managing to actually get near her. That girl had so much stubbornness and determination; not always used for the right thing. Right now, she was so concerned trying to get a lead _somewhere_ that everything else had kind of been deemed completely unimportant and irrelevant.

"You wanna slow down there a little?" Two-Bit called out. But she didn't slow; if anything, her pace quickened as she realised that someone was with her. Two-Bit jogged a little faster, but he knew it was no use.

"Come on, Melody. " he said. All of a sudden, she seemed to slow down, much to Two-Bit's happiness, until eventually she froze all together. Two-Bit saw this as his chance to finally catch up with her. When he did, he noticed the look in her eyes; it was blank, completely distant; as if she wasn't really looking at something physically in front of her. It didn't take an absolute genius to figure out that that wasn't right.

"Mel?" he asked quietly.

"I made a promise." She whispered. "And I broke it."

"what do you mean?" Two-Bit asked.

"When they died...I promised that I would do whatever it took to keep them safe. Not just my brothers, but all of you. Now look what's happened..."

"My god, Mel...you can't still be blaming yourself for this." Two-Bit said sadly, taking her hands in his. "None of this is your fault, you hear me? Not a god damn bit."

"Then why aren't they here, Two-Bit?" Mel wondered, finally breaking her trance-like state and meeting his worried eyes. "Why are they lost somewhere out there and not here with me?"

"Okay, you need to take a few minutes to relax somewhere." Two-Bit said, looking around. Suddenly, he had an idea. Wordlessly, he took her hand and lead her down the street.

oOoOoOoOoOo

After Darry and Tim left, the remained of the gang tried their best to carry on like they would normally. Steve headed outside to try and find some more storage places for his hubcaps, and Kathy decided to go with him, seeing the chance to get the clothes in from the line at the same time. Dallas had decided to go off somewhere; nobody was entirely sure where. But that was Dally, and if he didn't want people to know, they didn't know. Besides, the others knew better than to ask him, not that they really cared at that moment.

Angela had by now grown tired of the mundane and uninteresting programs on the television and had wandered into the kitchen, wondering if there was something she could do or make for everyone later to take some of the stress off Mel and the boys. While raiding the cupboards and the fridge, she decided that even something as simple as sandwiches would at least be there to remind the others to eat at some point today.

As she was about half way through a loaf of bread, Angie heard the sound of approaching footsteps. She looked up to find a tired, worn out and miserable looking Sodapop slowly making his way into the kitchen. Angie smiled weakly before turning her attention back to the sandwiches.

"Tell me honestly, do I look as bad as I feel?" Soda asked, a small smile playing at his lips. Angie smiled and shook her head.

"Not at all." She said. Her response made him smile a little more.

"You don't have to lie to me, Miss Angie." He said, running his hand through his hair. Angela said nothing, not trusting her own voice at that moment. Every time he called her 'Miss Angie', or 'Miss Angela' her knees almost gave out, much to her dismay. She wanted to tell him that she wasn't lying; that even when he looked tired and worn out and completely miserable, he was still, in her opinion and surely those of half of the population of teenage girls in town, the most gorgeous guy in Tulsa.

"Well, you do look like you could use a drink." She offered instead.

"Way ahead of you." Soda said; his head already buried deep within the refrigerator, emerging a moment later with a bottle of Pepsi, already opened.

"That wasn't what I meant and you know it." She said, shaking her head. Soda merely shrugged.

"Wouldn't trust myself to be able to hold a glass at the moment." He admitted, taking a large gulp. Angela couldn't really argue with that; so instead, she turned her attention back to the small array of salad in front of her.

Silence soon fell upon the two; Soda sat with his back resting against one of the dining table chairs, casually sipping his Pepsi, while Angela continued to stack sandwiches on the plate beside her. Soda stood unnaturally still; his mind working so far into overdrive that the sound of his thinking almost drowned out the sound of the knife Angie was using to cut the salad.

"Do you think Dally's hiding something." He blurted out. Angie stopped chopping and looked up at him in confusion.

"What?" she wondered, not sure if she had heard him right. Soda sighed and put his bottle on the table.

"Do you think that he knows something that he's not telling us?" Soda asked. Angela sighed and pushed a stray blonde curl behind her ear.

"Well, I don't know." She said, suddenly stopping short when she realised what he was talking about. "Wait...do you?"

"After the last couple of days, I can honestly say that I don't know anymore." Soda admitted. "But, yeah...I'm almost positive. I mean, come on...you saw him before."

"I gotta admit, he's acting strange." Angie said. "But that's Dally. Mr. cold and moody, tin man with no heart' kinda thing. It wouldn't be the first time he's kept secrets from any of us."

"No, I think it's more than that." Soda said. "I don't know what it is, Angie. But...he knows something. At least more than he wants us to believe."

"You're so sure about it, aren't you?" Angie asked, heading over to the sink to wash the lettuce. Soda nodded his head solemnly as he picked up his Pepsi bottle and prepared to take another sip, but stopped suddenly.

"Oh wow, I didn't even realise. I haven't offered you anything." He said, slightly embarrassed. Angela laughed a little and shook her head.

"Would you like a Pepsi, Miss Angela?" he asked formally. Angie smiled and nodded her head, watching as he once again headed over to the refrigerator and pulled out another Pepsi bottle.

Angela reached over to the drawer by the sink to find a bottle opener, but stopped short as she saw Soda put the bottle at the crook of his elbow and twist the top off perfectly. The blonde sighed inwardly; ticking off another thing from her list that fit him perfectly.

Shaking her head, Angela picked up the knife again and was about to start chopping once more, when the knife slipped out of her hand. Angie cried out in both shock and pain as the blade fell, hitting just below her knee before it reached the floor.

"Whoa there." Soda said, putting the bottles aside and rushing over to her. Angie winced in pain, and shifted her weight so she was leaning against the countertop. Soda knelt to the ground, pushing the hem of her dress aside to examine her knee properly. He winced a little in sympathy as he saw the scarlet liquid dripping rather fast down her leg.

"You okay there?" Soda wondered.

"Yeah, fine. I just, wasn't paying attention." Angela said lamely. Soda cocked a grin.

"I know what that's like." He said, grabbing a clean rag out of his pocket and pressing it to her knee. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

Ignoring her protests, Sodapop carefully took her hand and put it around his shoulders so all her weight was resting on him, as he helped her to the bathroom. With a little assistance, Angie made her way across the room and sat down on the toilet seat, while Soda began searching around through the medicine cabinet.

"Ahh, here we go." He said, bringing out a tube of antiseptic cream and a packet of bandaids. Armed with his supplies, Soda crouched down beside her and propped her foot onto his thigh to get a better look at it.

"Honestly, it looks a lot worse than it really is." He said, trying to reassure her.

"I suppose..."

"How the hell did you manage to cut your leg anyway?" Soda wondered, gently covering the cut with cream.

"I guess I didn't dry my hands well enough from the sink." Angie said, shrugging helplessly. Soda smiled slightly and pulled a brightly coloured bandaid off the counter.

"You really gotta be more careful, Miss Angie." He said, sticking the bandage over the cut. "You could have really hurt yourself."

"Well, I guess I'm just lucky you were there to rescue me again." She replied, instantly kicking herself that she allowed herself to actually say that. Soda chuckled and nodded.

"Seems to be a recurring thing lately, huh?" he noted. He lifted her leg to get a better look; making sure that he had covered it properly and not to risk anything else happening to it.

"There we are, good as new." He said happily. Soda then leaned down and pressed his lips to the bandaid, kissing it better. Angela froze at the touch, as did Sodapop, only realizing what he had done out of instinct. He let her foot drop, somewhat carefully and moved back a little.

"Uhh, sorry." He said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Angie shook her head, silently telling him that it was okay. Soda nodded and got up rather fast, packing the medical supplies away hastily and moved out of her way.

"So...uhm, you...are you okay now or do you need...?" he asked. Angie held up her hand to stop him.

"It's fine. I can take it from here." She said. Soda nodded once again and moved out of her way and out of the room, shutting the door halfway behind him. Angela sighed and hoisted both her feet up beneath her as she absentmindedly traced her fingers around the edges of the brightly coloured piece of plastic that lay just under her knee.

Outside, Soda rested his back against the door with a sigh. Why did he do that? His mind was trying to reason with itself; why not? It was out of habit. He always did that when Mel or Ponyboy hurt themselves when they were younger...yeah, it was out of instinct.

"Hey Soda!" Steve's voice called out from the back yard. Soda sighed once more and looked at the bathroom door once more before making his way outside to see what Steve wanted.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The breeze blowing past felt like a cold slap on the cheek as Mel sat silently on the swing set; casually moving back and forth ever so slowly. She was somewhat grateful that Two-Bit knew where to take her. But even being at one of her favourite places in the entire world could not stop her feeling entirely responsible for everything that was happening around them.

Two-Bit sat beside he on the opposite swing, trying his best to reassure her that she was at no part to blame for anything. But so far, her stubbornness was getting in the way much more than usual, and was proving to be making things even more difficult.

"You have to get it all out of you head, babe." Two-Bit said. "You are not to blame... for any of this. I don't know why you think you are, but it's all in your head."

"I wish it was." Mel said sadly.

"But it isn't. And you sitting here playing the self blame game is doing nobody any good. It's not helping you, it's not helping your family and it's not helping those boys." Two-Bit told her. When he got no response, he continued.

"You feel like you've let everyone down...but you haven't. I know you promised to look after them and you have, and a damn tuff job of it too." He praised. "But whether it were you, or Darry, or...even your parents...nobody would have been able to shield them forever. You couldn't be able to stop every bad thing in the whole world from happening to them."

"What if they're hurt, Two-Bit?" Mel asked quietly. "What if something's happened to them and none of us even know?"

"They are absolutely fine." Two-Bit said, reaching across and taking her hand. "You wanna know how I know this?"

"How?"

"Because they're smart. The pair of them. They've been lucky to grow up with people who have taught them how to be smart and look after themselves and all that." Two-Bit explained. "That's what you're to blame for."

"When the hell did you get so damn smart?" she asked, laughing slightly..

"Beats the shit outta me." Two-Bit shrugged, cracking a grin. "You ready to go home?"

Mel nodded and allowed Two-Bit to help her off the swing. Wrapping his arms around her, the two started on the journey home, hoping that their next course of action would be there and that they would be one step closer to finding those boys.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Getting back to work was the hardest for the three siblings. They wanted nothing more than to be able to keep looking or planning, anything that would get them closer to finding something out. But they all knew that life couldn't be put on hold any longer; bills still had to be paid, jobs needed to be done and, more importantly, lives had to be restarted once more.

So, like it should be, Darry headed to work early the next morning just after the twins got out of bed. Soda got ready for work, but different to his usual fast-paced, energetic self. And Melody, like Sodapop, was stuck on some kind of auto pilot; going about getting things done, but not with her usual spark.

The day had been dragging on forever, as it seemed to do more often than not, and Mel was taking a small cigarette break in the back of the diner. A whole two minutes where she could just stop and pretend that nothing was wrong with the world.

"Hey Mel?" a voice called out from the doorway. Mel sighed to herself and groaned inwardly. All she had asked for was two minutes that Marcie could cover her table to give her just a small break.

"Yeah?" she called out, stubbing her cigarette out against the wall.

"There's a couple of cops out front." Marcie said. Mel's eyes widened as she dropped the burnt out cigarette butt on the ground.

"What?"

"They wanna talk to you." Marcie replied. Mel sighed and rested her head against the wall. She knew it was coming; that it wouldn't take long for the cops to get their shit together and start looking around. But personally, she had kinda hoped it would be later on; preferably a time when she didn't feel like complete shit. But she was only lying to herself.

"Shit. Alright, I'll be right out." She called out. She heard Marcie walk away and took a moment to straighten up and look at least half alive. Knowing she couldn't put it off any longer, Mel put her packet of smokes back in their hiding place and headed out to the front of the diner.

Two cops in uniform were waiting by the cash register for her. She had seen them both around town, but had never really had the pleasure of meeting them, until now. The serious looks on their faces probably would have made Mel laugh if it were under any other circumstance. Sure, she made it her mission to never get involved with the cops for her family's sake; but she hated the lot of them just as much as they hated them, and neither party made any secret of it.

"Melody Jean Curtis?" The first one asked.

"Who wants to know?" Mel asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"We need you to come down to the station to answer a few questions." He said, completely ignoring her question.

"Well, may I ask what these questions are about…Officer?" She wondered, holding back on spitting out the last part.

"I believe you know." His partner quipped.

"Well, I'm afraid y'all will have to be a little more specific. On this side of town, things happen with or without questions asked." Mel said slyly.

"Listen here kid, we can do this the easy way or the hard way, it's up to you." The first one said. Mel sighed and ran her hand through her hair.

"Okay fine." She said. "Can I have a minute to leave out the back?" she wondered.

"Not a chance." The second said. Mel looked at the two in complete disbelief.

"Are you kidding me?" she exclaimed. "I work here…"

"Now."

Mel face turned stony as she glared at the two men. If they thought that this was going to be one easy interrogation, well they sure as hell had another think coming.

"Fine. Marcie, cover me, yeah?" she asked, tossing her apron to the ground and stalking past the two men, out to the awaiting police car.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"She hasn't said anything then?" an officer asked. His partner shook his head disdainfully.

"Not one word." He said. "She knows something, I know it."

"You can't charge her on a hunch, Brad." The officer asked. Before 'Brad' could respond another voice joined the conversation.

"Suspect for the Sheldon murder?"

"Yes sir, but I haven't been able to get anything or any kind of evidence so far." Brad said. "But rest assured, I will."

"Who've we got in there?"

"The Curtis girl." The other officer supplied. There was silence for a moment.

"I'll take it from here, Jacoby."

"But sir, I…"

"I said I'll handle it. Now back to your desks."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Mel didn't know how long she had been there. She had stopped caring as soon as the bastards told her to leave the Dingo. They had been questioning her over and over again; determined to get her to talk and confess all. They were convinced that she, being the older sister of one of the fugitives, knew exactly where they were and was merely playing stupid. But Mel wasn't giving up; she knew nothing that was of consequence to them and was sticking it out.

The sound of the interview room door opening behind her pulled her from her thoughts. Mel scrunched her nose up in disgust; she wondered who they had sent in this time to try and pry information from her.

"I told you. I ain't talking to anymore cops." Mel said, not bothering to turn around. There was no point; it was just another cop that was going to ask the same questions just like the last three or so.

"Even if this one comes bearing coffee?" a voice asked. Mel stopped instantly. It had been a while since she had heard that voice, and after the day she'd had, she was mighty glad to hear it again. Silently, she turned around, just to confirm her suspicions. An old familiar face was there staring back at her; a small smile forming on his face.

"White with two sugars, yes?" he said, handing her a mug. Mel accepted it with a flicker of a smile.

"You remember?" she asked, letting her guard down a little. The man smiled and sat down opposite her, sipping his own cup.

"Well, I've made a fair few for you before." He said. Mel stayed silent, stating down at the mug between her fingers.

"You know, your buddies didn't have to drag me out of work like that." She said. The man raised an eyebrow.

"Since when have you worked at The Dingo?" he wondered. Mel sighed and pushed her hair back behind her ear.

"Since we started having trouble paying rent." She admitted reluctantly.

"I'm sorry." The man said sincerely. Mel merely nodded her head, having heard it all before. It wasn't the first time someone had pitied her, and it sure as hell wasn't the last. But, strangely enough, she knew that he actually meant it.

"So, how've you been?" he asked. The question actually made Mel laugh.

"Come on Jack, is this an interrogation or a friendly catch up?" she wandered, drinking some of her coffee.

"Can't it be both?" Jack wondered innocently. Mel rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway. The older man sighed deeply and put his mug back on the table in front of him. His graying, almost white hair pushed back as he tried to come up with a way to put things delicately for her. But he knew Melody Curtis well - well enough to know that whatever had to be asked, she could take…no matter how many times it was asked.

"Word around the station is that that you know where they are." He said finally. Mel looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Who told you that?" she wondered.

"Do you?" Jack pushed. Melody sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"I already said that I don't." she said. "It's your lot that don't believe me."

"You can understand why they ask." Jack pointed out.

"Because I'm his sister, yeah I know." Mel said, raising her voice in frustration. "I know probably as much as you do…less even."

"Dallas Winston seems to think that the boys are in Texas." Jack said.

"Is that so?" Mel asked, seeing Jack nod. "Well, I guess you better start looking there, then."

"Mel…"

"Wait, when did you talk to Dallas?" Mel wondered.

"He's across the hall in the other interview room." Jack sighed. Mel merely nodded her head once and turned her attention back to the coffee mug in front of her. Jack sighed and leaned forward against the table.

"I know you don't know what we want to know. But I need you to tell me what you _do_ know." Jack said. "I want to find those boys too, you know."

"Yeah, you and the whole goddamn town." Mel muttered.

"Not as a cop…and you know that." Jack said sadly. Mel remained quiet; stating at the drink growing slightly colder by the second in her mug.

"That's my brother out there, Jack." She said quietly. "Both of them. I shouldn't be wasting my time here unable to answer the same damn questions fifty times. I should be out looking."

"I know honey, but…Melody…you know we need a statement." He said. Mel looked up at him; tears were starting to form in her eyes. No matter how she knew it was true, she couldn't.

"You know what's going to happen if I do…because of all this." She said.

"I promise you, nothing will happen." Jack vowed. Melody sniffed and shook her head.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Jack." She said.

"What did I tell you last year?" Jack asked. "I told you…all four of you, that I would do everything in my power to keep you together."

"I honestly don't know anything." Mel said. "I really don't."

"Just tell me what you do know. It doesn't even have to be about them or what you think happened. Just tell me what happened with you guys that night."

Melody sighed and let her head hang low. She knew she would have to tell him; not only was it not of much use to the case, but this was a man she trusted almost completely. Everything he had done for them...

"They picked me up from work; Ponyboy, Johnny and Dal. We went and saw a movie at the double. Uhh…Dal left soon after, I have no idea where he went. Uh…met up with Two-Bit, then after the movie we walked with these two Soc girls. They had a run in with their boyfriends…

"What king of run in?" Jack interrupted.

"Oh you know, going on about how they shouldn't be talking to trash like us. You know, the usual." Mel said dryly.

"And one of these boys was Bob Sheldon?" Jack asked. Mel sighed and nodded her head. Jack nodded once and motioned for her to continue.

"Then what happened?"

" They left. After that I walked with the boys and Two-Bit to our street, then he and I left to go to a party. What happened after that…I have no idea…I-I told them to go straight home…" Mel stopped suddenly as images of that night flashed through her mind; the last time she saw Ponyboy and Johnny…

"You okay?" Jack asked. Mel gave a small nod.

"You don't have to tell me anymore now." Jack said. "I know there isn't anything else you can give, that's fine, honey."

"You really think they did it…" Mel wondered with a shaky breath. Jack looked at her sympathetically and sighed.

"It's not looking good for them, Mel." He said, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "More so for…I shouldn't even be talking about this…"

"I can handle it." Mel insisted.

"I know you can." Jack said regretfully. "But it's not just that, and you know it."

"I need to know, Jack." Mel pleaded. "…please."

The older man sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes once more. It was against every rule to be talking about the case with her. But then again, even as a senior member of the force, he never really had that much care for the rules; and this was a special case.

"According to the accounts given by Mr. Sheldon's friends who witnessed the incident…Johnny Cade was the one who had the knife." Jack told her solemnly.

Mel felt herself stop breathing at the thought of it. She knew a Soc was dead. She knew those two boys were unfortunately involved. But to hear it; to actually hear confirmation come from someone with power, particularly someone she trusted almost more than anything, almost broke her completely. The thought that someone she knew; her Johnny, could actually kill somebody…

"You know that whatever happened…whatever it was that brought it on…it had to be self defense." Mel said. "It had to be!"

"We won't know until we get all the facts." Jack said. Mel swallowed painfully, feeling sick at the thought about what she was about to ask next.

"What's the charge?" she asked.

"Mel, I can't…"

"Jack." She begged. The older man sighed and rested his head in his hand on top of the table.

"Possibly manslaughter." He told her.

Hearing those words, Melody grew paler. All colour faded from her face as she felt her entire body shut down. She felt herself sway in her seat a little; glad to be sitting for fear of falling to the floor any moment.

"You alright?" Jack wondered, reaching his hand out to steady her. Mel nodded wordlessly; only just able to control her urge to be sick.

"I think you better get yourself home to rest." Jack said worriedly. Mel could only nod, knowing there was no use arguing with the man.

"Might as well, seeing that my shift's pretty much over by now." Mel said, smiling faintly. Jack got up out of his chair and helped Melody to her feet. She grabbed her bag and jacket from the floor beside her and followed Jack to the door. He reached out to grab the doorknob, but was stopped by Mel's hand on his.

"Just…let us know anything, yeah?" she asked. Jack smiled and nodded.

"Of course, sweetheart." He replied, squeezing her hand reassuringly. Mel smiled quickly and headed out the door, with Jack following close behind. Officer Jacoby was standing outside the room when the two walked out.

"Officer Jacoby, Miss Curtis is done here and is free to go." Jack said.

"But sir…" Jacoby started incredulously.

"But nothing." Jack interrupted. "Winston can go too."

Jacoby looked as though he wanted to protest further, yet decided against it, knowing he had no place to defy a senior officer. Glaring at Mel, he stalked over to the other interview room and threw open the door, barking for whoever was inside to get out fast.

Cold, tough and mean as ever, Dally walked out of the room, managing to hide his surprise to see Mel there before him. Once everything was sorted, the two teens were able to leave the station and head home. As they walked outside, Dal stopped to light up a cigarette.

"What did you tell them?" he asked, casually leaning against the side of the building. Melody looked at him.

"The truth." She said. "Jack knew I knew nothing."

"Getting friendly with a cop?" Dal wondered. Mel rolled her eyes.

"I ain't getting friendly with nobody." She told him. "It's Jack. You know, Jack Holden...the guy who helped us after we lost Mom and Dad... part of the reason that the four of us haven't been broken up yet?"

When he didn't reply, Mel sighed in annoyance and pulled out one of her cigarettes, lighting up and leaning against the wall beside him.

"Did you tell them they were in Texas?" she asked.

"Maybe." Dal shrugged.

Mel couldn't take it anymore. For the last few days, he had been acting completely off. At first she wanted to shove those thoughts and feelings aside; wanting to prove to herself that both she and her brother were wrong about him. But the more time went on, the more she came to realise that perhaps he really was lying to them all.

"You know something." She told him.

"What makes you think that I know anything?" Dal asked, kicking an empty can across the street.

"Maybe the fact that you're acting so goddamn weird lately; ever since we found out those boys were gone." Mel said.

"Kid, don't act stupid..." Dally started.

"I'm not the one acting stupid, Dal." Mel yelled. "But I swear to god, if you know where they are...I'll..."

"What? You'll do what?" Dally taunted. Mel threw her cigarette to the ground. She couldn't deal with his idiocy at that moment. Instead, she grabbed her bag and walked away.

"Where the hell are you going?" Dally called out.

"Somewhere I can't hear your voice!" Mel called back. Groaning in frustration, Dally crushed his half-lit butt on the ground and raced after her.

"Mel, get back here." He said. But she didn't listen; she just kept on walking, begging for the tears in her eyes to at least wait until she got to the safety of her room before falling.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Ponyboy stood on the hillside by the side of the church. They never went around the front of the place; it was too easily seen; meaning the only glimpse of sunset and the night sky could be seen from the window, and even then it was hardly anything. Occasionally the farm kids would ride their horses down the street, but right there and then, it was completely silent. There wasn't another person for miles; Ponyboy took this as a sign that maybe he could slip out the front, just this once, and see the sky.

It was as if dawn was approaching already; the sun was low and golden, leaving a gold tinge to the clouds and settling mist. An array of pinks and golds slowly changing into grey and blue, eventually to become black. At this moment, Ponyboy could barely tell what was cloud and what was sky; he didn't know where the earth ended or even where it began.

"You and your sunsets, Ponyboy." Johnny said, appearing behind him, leaning ever-so-casually on the side of the church. "You know we shouldn't be out here. You know what Dally said..."

"Can't blame a guy for trying." Pony shrugged with a small smile.

"No, I guess not." Johnny admitted as he walked over to stand beside him. The two boys gazed silently out at the sky in front of them.

"Golly, it sure is pretty, ain't it? All gold like." Johnny said in awe. Ponyboy nodded his head.

"Yeah."

"You know, I never noticed all that; sunsets and clouds and colours and stuff...not til you started talking about it. It was like...like it never existed before, you know?" Johnny wondered.

"I couldn't talk about it to everybody." Ponyboy said. "Some people just can't dig it. I don't think I could talk to Two-Bit or Darry about this kinda stuff...just you, Mel and Sodapop. Well...maybe Cherry Valance."

"You sweet on her or something, Ponyboy?" Johnny asked with a slight grin. Pony shook his head as he felt the tips of his ears redden.

"No." He said defensively. "I just...I think she'd understand this stuff, that's all."

Johnny merely smiled, knowing he had caught his buddy out one way or another, but decided to let it drop, for now. Instead, he just turned his gaze back to the sky.

"Shame it can't stay like that though." He said sadly.

"Nothing gold can stay." Pony said wistfully.

"What was that?" Johnny wondered.

"It's a poem by Robert Frost. I remember Melody coming home from school one day and telling me about it; said it reminded her of me or something." Pony explained. "I just always remembered it cause we never really knew what it meant."

"Let's hear it then." Johnny said.

_"Nature's first green is gold,  
Her hardest hue to hold.  
Her early leafs a flower;  
But only so an hour.  
Then leaf subsides to leaf.  
So Eden sank to grief,  
So dawn goes down to day..."_

oOoOoOoOoOo  
_  
_"...Nothing gold can stay."

Melody let out a shaky breath as she whispered the last words of the poem to herself. She didn't know why she thought to say it out loud; probably because the sunset tended to be a reminder for her. She still didn't understand what Frost meant by those words; she wasn't sure if she would ever find out. But more than anything, it was a reminder of her brother. She knew without a doubt, no matter where he was, he would be staring out at the sunset, just like she was.

"You think he can see it too?" her twin wondered, stepping out from the front doorway to stand beside her. Mel wiped a stray tear away with her sleeve and nodded.

"It's the same sunset." She replied. "No matter where we are...it's exactly the same."

Soda sighed and rested his head on her shoulder. He knew she was right; their brother was out there somewhere, looking out at the sun setting just as they were. It was a small thought like this that gave them hope; that no matter how ridiculous or farfetched it sounded to be guided by a sunset; it gave them hope that somewhere out there, their little brother was safe and would surely find his way back home to them.


	69. Unchained Melody

**A/N: I am so so sorry about my lack of updating. I've had so much on with Uni, and life in general that every time I sat down to try and get this thing written, something would come up and annoy me so I wouldn't get anything done. But, no more excuses. This chapter was going to be longer but I settled with the fact that it is already 17 word pages long, so I've put whatever remaining into the next chapter. So…yeah! Hope you enjoy, and don't forget to drop me a line and let me know what you think. **

**This chapter is for my Ponyboy… she knows who she is. Hope this lives up to your expectations! x**

Angela Shepard felt mighty proud of herself as she made her way to the Curtis house one morning. Sixteen and a half - almost seventeen years old- and had the convincing techniques of a master; which came in handy when she wanted to borrow her brother's car whenever she wanted. Of course, being friends with the likes of Melody and Kathy for so long tends to improve such skills over time too. It also helps when one of your brothers asks for some kind of hangover food cure and the only way to get it is to borrow his car.

So, after dropping off some food to the conscious members of her brother's gang; and gracefully dodging over the number of guys still passed out all over her living room, Angie just casually 'forgot' to return the keys to Tim's car and headed out the door again. She knew it was probably the wrong thing to do, but she honestly didn't care. Besides, by the time that old engine roared and alerted her brother, granted he even decided to peel himself out of the armchair he was currently slumped in, she would be half way down the block already.

oOoOoOoOoOo

_'God speed your love too-oo-oo-oo-oo me..._

_That was The Righteous Brothers with Unchained Melody. We will be playing that song later on this afternoon. Be the first of our callers to ring here at Station WZAZ when you hear this song and win some ultra cool prizes!'_

Pulling into Sutton St, Angela couldn't help noticing that the sky was unusually dark for that time of the late morning. She sighed to herself, knowing that whatever the others planned to do today in the search would surely be put on hold in case of a storm. The last thing they all needed, especially now, was for someone else to be hurt...or worse.

When she pulled up out the front, Angela spotted two instantly recognizable figures lounging lazily on the front porch. Two-Bit had his back against the side of the house with a big glass beside him, rather than his typical morning beer bottle. His legs were crossed out in front of him, with his foot tapping absentmindedly against the porch. The other guy, Angela had honestly not seen hanging about the place for a while. Scott Rawlins was sitting on the steps carelessly; sunglasses covering his eyes and cigarette hanging unceremoniously from the corner of his mouth. Upon hearing the sound of the car pulled up, both boys turned to look at who it was. Well, she knew Two-Bit did, she couldn't half tell with Scott.

"Morning boys." Angela said, grabbing a couple of paper bags from the passenger seat and kicking the car door shut.

"Hey Angie." Two-Bit said. Scott didn't say anything, but nodded his head once in slight recognition. Angela smiled slightly and tossed Two-Bit one of the bags.

"Here, I come bringing food." She said. Two-Bit's eyes lit up as he caught the bag and opened it up to investigate.

"What have we got here?" he asked.

"Errr I think there's some donuts, and some other stuff I picked up this morning." Angela shrugged. She knew she lost them after that, with Two-Bit digging around inside and Scott just...doing nothing.

"No beer this morning, Two-Bit?" she wondered, nodding to the big glass. Two-Bit pulled his head out of the donut bag and looked at her, then at the glass, and back at her.

"Nah, chocolate milk for me this morning, girl." He said.

"I'm impressed." Angela praised, laughing good-naturedly. The older boy grinned with pride, before returning his full attentions back to the baked goods in his hand. Shaking her head, Angie headed inside in search of some - more refined company.

The first thing she noticed as she stepped inside, was Darry's armchair. Usually, it was turned towards the television set, facing the centre of the room. Now, it was moved to face the front door. A pillow and blanket lay abandoned over the arm of the chair, with another resting at the foot of the chair, as if someone had just tossed them aside. Angela looked at the chair in confusion, wondering what was going on with it.

"Hello?" she called out, tearing her eyes from the chair and looking around the rest of the room; wondering who else was around the place. It was a weird feeling; stepping into the Curtis house and not having to jump out of the way of people running around the place, or having to yell over the screaming voices or the blaring radio. It's these small things that one usually hates, but tends to miss when they're not around anymore.

"Oh thank God!" Kathy exclaimed, seeing the younger blonde walk into the room.

"Excited to see me or something." Angela laughed.

"I've been here all morning with those two for company." Kathy said, pointing out the front door.

"So you've been here on your own then, basically?" Angela wondered. Kathy nodded.

"Exactly. I dragged those two out of bed early this morning to help me around here, only to have them sit out on that porch taking about their tattoos or something...well, Two-Bit defending that goddamn mouse he has on his arm." She said, rolling her eyes. "And whenever I go out to talk to them, they just stop talking and shrug me off. So instead, I've done the washing here, started preparing dinner, and then spent the last twenty minutes freaking out because my good pair of jeans don't fit me anymore."

"You'll fit into them again in no time. But in any case, I guess you won't be wanting these then." Angela wondered, holding up the remaining bag.

"What are they?" Kathy asked, eyeing the bag with a mix of suspicion and hunger.

"Jelly donuts." Angela smiled. Kathy's eyes widened as she stepped forward and took the offered bag, smiling gratefully at her friend.

"How come Darry's chair's like this?" Angela asked. Kathy stilled and looked sadly at the chair, sighing deeply.

"Mel's been sleeping there." She said softly. Angela looked at her friend in disbelief.

"What?" she asked. Kathy nodded her head sadly. "Since when?"

"The last couple of nights." The older blonde explained. "She sits there after dinner every night, just...waiting. Hoping that they'll come back. Last night Soda couldn't bear to have her out here alone so he slept there with her on the floor."

"What about her room?" Angie asked.

"Two-Bit and I have been staying in her room...we just...haven't been able to leave them." Kathy shrugged. "Darry needed a hand with stuff around here, and it helps keep me occupied here every day, not that it's really been much help other than some washing and cooking being done."

It was then that Angela got a real good look at her friend. Her blonde hair was a mess; unlike her usual nicely made 'do; she looked tired and her eyes were surrounded by dark, sleepless rings. In all honesty, she looked like she hadn't slept in weeks.

"Hey, you feeling okay?" Angie asked. "You look kinda...drained."

"Yeah, I'm just tired." Kathy said. "Haven't been sleeping very well lately, as you probably guess.."

"That can't be good for the baby." Angie said. Kathy stopped again, letting her eyes fall to the ground for a moment. She sighed and stopped searching through the bag.

"Please, just...don't." she asked.

"Sorry, I just..."

"I know...and I appreciate it." Kathy said, smiling softly. "It's just I'm getting it from everyone. From Two-Bit, from Lynn, Sodapop, Darry, even Scott's on my ass constantly about not doing anything. I know you guys are just looking out for me, but I still have a little while to go til I start house arrest."

Angela had to admit, she made some sense. She could only imagine how Kathy felt, being so used to going out and doing whatever she wanted only to have all that changed because she was pregnant. She knew the others were just trying to look out for her, just like she was. But she knew that if she were in the same position, she would feel the exact same way.

"As long as you know what you're doing." She said eventually. Kathy nodded her head, silently thanking her friends for the concern. She knew that they were all just trying to help her. But she'd be damned if she was going to let them treat her like an invalid.

"I just...I just don't want everyone thinking that I can't do anything, just because I'm pregnant. But if people think I'm just going to sit around the house all day waiting, then they've got another think coming. I'm not sitting on my ass while there's things to do...especially while those boys are still out there." Kathy added, digging her hand into the donuts once more. "Especially after last night."

"What happened last night?" Angela wondered. Kathy rolled her eyes as she took a bite out of the donut.

"Two-Bit somehow heard from Dally that the boys had gone and run off to Texas." She said, grabbing a couple of glasses from the cupboard and getting a bottle of milk out of the fridge.

"He what?!" Angie asked, astonished. "Where did he hear that from?"

"It's what the cops were told, apparently." Kathy shrugged, pouring them each a glass of milk. Angie raised an eyebrow as she accepted the glass.

"It's not true, is it?" she wondered.

"Of course not…ouch." Kathy said, putting her glass down before putting her hand on her lower back to support herself. "Come on baby, don't use Mama as a punching bag today. Be a good girl."

"You okay?" Angie asked with a small smile. Kathy nodded her head, coming to sit down beside her friend at the table.

"Yeah, she's kicking a little harder recently." She said, rubbing her stomach. "Two-Bit seems to think that she knows something's up."

"So you think Dally lied to the cops?" Angela asked. Kathy smiled stiffly.

"I know Dally lied to the cops." She said sadly. "But that didn't stop my idiot of a boyfriend from deciding that he wanted to go look for them out there did it?"

"He didn't…" Angela asked, resting her head in her hands, already knowing the answer.

"He did." Kathy nodded. "He didn't get very far before we managed to get him to come back though, thank God." She said. Angela could only shake her head; knowing that it really was a typical thing for Two-Bit to do...and a typical thing for Dally to tell the cops in the first place.

"I don't know why he does it." Angie said sadly, looking down at the glass in her hands. "Dally, I mean."

"Who knows why that boy does anything?" Kathy wondered sadly. "Dally may think he has people fooled, and god knows some believe him. But he forgets that there are still a few of us who know him better than he knows himself."

"You being one of them?" Angela asked. Kathy smiled softly and nodded.

"Me being one of them." She confirmed. "I've known that boy for nearly six years now. He's very dear to me…one of my best friends. But that doesn't stop me thinking he's a complete moron and hating the choices he makes a lot of the time."

Angela nodded and looked down at her cup once more, tracing her fingers around the glass. Kathy wasn't an idiot; she knew something was playing on the younger girl's mind.

"What's wrong?" Kathy wondered. Angela looked up at her friend with sad eyes.

"it's just..I worry about him." She said softly. Kathy sighed and rested her hand on top of hers.

"I know honey, so do I. We all do."

" It's just, I don't know. I have a really bad feeling about something." Angela admitted quietly. Kathy looked at her with confusion.

"What do you mean?" She asked, not liking the tone of her friend's voice. Angela shrugged her shoulders helplessly.

"I don't know…" she said, staring at her glass. She smiled weakly and looked up at her friend once more. "I'm probably sounding crazy, right?"

"Oh honey, in this house it takes a lot more than that to sound crazy, believe me. I mean, have you seen the two gorillas out the front?" Kathy wondered, breaking the tension in the air. Angela smiled and laughed along. The older blonde was thankful that she was smiling, but couldn't help feeling something in the pit of her stomach that for some reason felt that Angela could be onto something.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." She said, giving Angela's hand a comforting squeeze. The younger girl smiled half-heartedly, wanting nothing more that to believe the reassuring words she was hearing. But no matter what was said, nothing could shake the feeling off.

"So, where is everyone?" she wondered, desperate for a change in conversation. "Other than the two idiots out the front and us, this place is kinda quiet."

"Well, Officer Holden called Darry last night; said he wanted to talk to him about things. So Darry headed in there before going to work." Kathy explained. "Steve took Mel to school about half an hour ago before going into the DX for a morning shift."

"She went to school?" Angie wondered. Kathy nodded.

"Yeah, poor kid's been doing it bad. She hasn't been sleeping much, like I said before… and fighting with Dal a hell of a lot more since they got back from the station the other day. We all thought it'd be good for her to get out of the house and focus on something else for a while." She said. "Dally's god knows where and Soda's..."

Angela noticed her friend trailing off when she got to Soda's name. Looking up at her, she noticed Kathy had begun fiddling with the paper bag, tearing strips away.

"What's wrong?" she asked, suddenly fearing the worst. Kathy sighed and put the bag on the countertop.

"Soda's gone off." She said. "He just left this morning and we have no idea where he is. Steve thought he may have gone into work but he wasn't at the DX when he arrived. So, we've been keeping an eye out so that he will come home soon and we won't have to tell Melody and Darry."

"Well, have you tried all the usual places? I mean he couldn't have just gone off...not after Ponyboy..." Angela said hurriedly. Kathy sighed and held up her hand, telling the girl to calm down.

"Yeah, we've looked all over. But we shouldn't worry. The kid's had a hard time too. Maybe he doesn't want to be found at the moment; he might just need some place to go and think."

"But he..." Angela stopped suddenly as Kathy's words played over in her head; _need some place to go and think..._a special place. Of course!

Not saying another word, the younger girl grabbed her bag and headed out the front door, letting it slam behind her loudly. Her sudden appearance startled the two guys out the front, halting their conversation as they watched her run down the steps and out to the gate.

"Now where are you going?" Kathy wondered, walking out to the porch.

"I think I know where he is!" Angela called over her shoulder, getting into the car. Kathy, Scott and Two-Bit watched the girl drive off down the street in confusion, not entirely sure what had just happened.

Shaking her head, Kathy turned to head back inside, but stopped when she got a good look at her boyfriend.

"What?" Two-Bit asked, noticing her staring at him.

"You know, before you actually become a daddy...you might wanna learn to clean up after yourself a little better." Kathy said, pointing to his face. Two-Bit looked at her confused and touched the side of his mouth, to find jelly and sugar smeared all over it.

The two Rawlins siblings laughed as he simply shrugged his shoulders and continued devouring the tasty treat.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Seeing the familiar car parked at the side of the old house, Angela let out the breath she had been holding. In all honesty, she didn't know where to look if he wasn't there. But Kathy said they had all looked in all the usual places - not many people knew about this place, and those who did, didn't even know that Soda had run off in the first place.

She parked the car down the street and made her way into the house, hoping to herself that he was in fact there. The front door was open slightly, a good sign, and Angela could have sworn she could hear the faintest sounds of a radio or some kind of music drifting in and out somewhere way out the back. Passing the photos and semi-unfinished painted walls; complete with peeling shreds of wallpaper and holes, Angela made her way through the house, trying to remember her way from the last time she was there.

Much to her relief, she found the guy in question; Sodapop Curtis, with his back to her, hunched over the kitchen counter; if he knew she was there, he didn't show it at all.

Angela moved silently out of the doorway and leaned against the nearest wall. All those years of sneaking around her place seemed to have come in handy once more; he still didn't know he wasn't alone.

"You know, there's a few people who are worried about you." She said, breaking the silence. The sudden, unexpected sound of her voice caused Soda to jump. He didn't even bother turning around; having recognised her voice instantly.

"What are you doing here?" he asked softly.

"Kathy said you ran off. She was getting mighty worried about you, you know?" Angela said. Soda looked up from whatever he was doing and sighed.

"She didn't need to." He said. Angela looked at him in disbelief, despite the fact he still had his back turned to her.

"Didn't need to?" she wondered incredulously, kicking herself off the wall. "Soda, you just left - you didn't let anyone know anything. You honestly think nobody would worry...especially after everything that has happened around here lately?"

It wasn't even mentioned properly, but Angela still couldn't help noticing him visibly flinch when she brought up Ponyboy and Johnny's disappearance. She knew it was a sore point; it was with all of them...but it honestly had to be said.

"I just..." he faulted. He sighed and looked down at the countertop before turning around finally to face her. Angela noticed immediately how different he looked; so much older. His eyes were sunken and red; the unmistakeable evidence of tears were left behind on his face. They were without their usual glint of mischief that she was so used to.

"...I had to get out." He said softly. He was so quiet, that Angie was sure that if she hadn't of been where she was, she might not have heard him at all. Angela sighed

"Well, next time…maybe just tell someone?" she asked, smiling weakly. Soda sighed and nodded softly, running his hand through his hair.

"So, you came to check up on me?" he asked, grinning softly. Angela suddenly felt as though she had been caught out for something; instantly feeling shy. She could feel her cheeks heat up thanks to that smile, however small it may be. She was in deep trouble if he could have that affect on her with a simple sentence. Never before had she been more thankful for her long hair to hide her face.

"Well…yeah." She admitted, pushing a stray piece behind her ear. Angela shrugged nonchalantly and leaned back against the wall once again, causing Soda to smile a little more.

"I mean, someone had to. I guess I was the only one who knew you would be here…but, I can go if you want me to." She said, turning to head out the door once more.

"No." Soda said, fast and rather loud. Angela smiled softly and turned around to see him shuffle back to the countertop rubbing the back of his neck.

"I mean, you don't have to." He said. "I…"

"Yeah?" Angie wondered.

"I don't really wanna be alone." He said quietly. Angie smiled softly and nodded her head. She put Tim's car keys down on the table and walked over to him.

"What are you doing?" she asked, looking at the pieces of scrunched up paper on the countertop.

"I'm trying to write a note to Pony." Soda said. Angela looked at him in confusion. Soda sighed and rested his arm on the counter in front of him.

"I just…gotta get it to him, I don't know why." He admitted. "But I'm gonna try, and give it to Dallas to give to him."

"I guess it is true." Angela said softly.

"What is?" Soda asked.

"That Dally knows something."

Soda took a deep breath and nodded his head. He hadn't really made it a secret that he suspected Dally of anything, but he didn't really talk about it to anyone, other than Melody that is. If Angela knew something about it, perhaps they weren't the only ones who suspected it.

"I'm sure that he knows where they are, even if he does deny it." Soda said. "I mean, come on. You've seen how he's been since all this happened. He acts as though he doesn't know a thing…but he hasn't been looking as hard as we have…I just know it. He knows where my brother is and he's not telling us."

"I guess it does make sense." Angela said. "I mean, if I ever got into trouble, Dal would probably be the first person I'd go to. He's, well…I guess he can just be trusted that way."

"I used to think so." Soda said. "But if he does know something, and I'm sure he does. He's not doing himself any favours by keeping it from us. I'm the first one to say that you gotta be loyal to your gang, I'll admit that. But if that loyalty means keeping stuff like this hidden from family…it ain't right, Angie."

"I know it's not. We all know that Dally's loyal. He's just looking out for those boys, honey. You know that." Angela soothed. Soda shook his head

"He's fifteen!" he cried out. "The kid is fifteen years old for crying out loud. Sure, he's a smart kid…but he could get hurt out there in the real world. And Johnny only just turned sixteen. Anything could happen to those kids out there."

"Soda…"

"No! Dally might have helped them out in some way, but he left them. He could have done the decent thing and stayed with them, made sure they were safe. Instead he's just told them what to do and sent them on their merry way while he comes back here and pretends nothing's happened." Soda yelled. He was on the brink of tears, and Angie knew it.

"I'm sure Dally knew what he was doing." She said, trying any angle to be comforting. Soda shook his head; so hard Angie thought it would hurt mighty bad. He turned to face the counter once more; gripping it tightly to try and keep his cool.

"The only thing he's doing is hurting everyone. He's hurting his family." He said. "Worse than that…he's hurting her."

Angela didn't need to question who he was referring to. She could only imagine how everyone felt about this, particularly Soda and Darry. But the one person she could never even try to fathom how they were feeling; Melody. She was torn between her brothers and the guy who had her heart, and Angie couldn't even begin to wonder how that felt.

"Melody's been losing sleep over this. She's up all night staring at the front door; just waiting for them to walk in like nothing was wrong. And the few times we've managed to get her to sleep, it's only been from sheer exhaustion after crying her eyes out." Soda explained. "If Dal can see all this happening and still not tell her what he knows….well maybe he's just not worth it either. Anyone who can sit back and watch someone they love be so lost and helpless…"

He lost it after that. He slammed his fist down onto the countertop loudly, causing Angela to jump back a little. Soda threw the papers off the bench and choked back a sob. She was by his side in a moment, faster than anything.

"Soda, listen to me." She said, putting her hand on his face, turning him to face her. "You need to calm down, okay."

It damn near broke her heart to see his tear filled eyes staring back at her. She saw the helplessness and heartache in them; desperation, anger, and sadness - it was almost too much for her to bear.

"You're not doing anybody any good getting all worked up like this. Not you, not Pony, not Melody." She said, wiping his tears away with her thumbs. "I need you to calm down, okay? Take a few deep breaths, can you do that for me?"

Soda nodded his head silently and started taking a few deep breaths, determined to calm himself down. Pretty soon, he had calmed down was able to breathe properly once more. Angela smiled softly, glad that he was okay once more.

"There, feel better?" she asked.

"Yeah… thanks Angie." He said. The girl smiled softly and nodded her head, stepping away from him to give him some space.

"Now, how about this letter?"

oOoOoOoOoOo

As he stared into the cracked mirror, Ponyboy couldn't help feeling that he was staring at someone else. It sure didn't look like his reflection staring back at him, even though he knew it was. He ran his hand through his freshly bleached hair, still able to smell the peroxide. He pulled and tugged; anything to try and make it look a little bit better, but it was no use. Until about an hour ago, Ponyboy hadn't had a haircut in a year and a half or so, and that was only cause his mama told him he needed a quick tidy up. Johnny hadn't been particularly nice with the blade either. He knew he didn't mean it, but getting the knife stuck in his greased hair wasn't exactly the most pleasant feeling in the world.

"Man, this really does make me look tuff, don't it?" he asked, taking another drag of his cigarette.

"Oh, come on Pony, it ain't that bad." Johnny insisted. "I mean, I'm not as good as Angela or anything, but it doesn't look that bad."

"I guess not." Ponyboy mumbled. Johnny sighed and shook his head, taking a seat on a nearby tree stump.

"Alright, go ahead." He said, flipping out his blade once more. Ponyboy smirked and wandered over, happily taking the knife from his friend. "Get your jollies."

"My pleasure." Pony grinned, stepping behind him to get a good look at his head.

"Yeah, I know it is." Johnny replied. "Just cut it 'round the front and thin it out a bit or something. I'll fix it up and comb when I wash the grease out."

"You're crazy, Johnnycake." Pony said. "You'll catch a cold if you wash your hair in this weather."

Johnny just shrugged, and clenched his eyes, bracing himself for the attack that was about to come. "Just be nice."

He winced as soon as Ponyboy started cutting through the grease. He wasn't enjoying seeing his best friend in pain, but Ponyboy couldn't stop the small smile that made its way onto his face.

"Hurts, don't it?" he asked.

"Yeah yeah, just keep going." Johnny mumbled through gritted teeth. Pony shrugged and continued to battle his way through the greasy, knotted mass. "Hey, come on I didn't take that much off of you!"

"Hey, it was your bright idea, deal with it Smarty." Ponyboy retorted. Johnny sighed and gripped the tree stump tightly, waiting for the torture to be over.

When they had finished, despite Ponyboy's pleas, Johnny washed his hair and combed it back so that it resembled some kind of normal. Pony handed him Dally's jacket to wrap himself up in to keep warm and stared at his reflection once again, still unable to believe that it was him.

"Well, I guess we're disguised." Johnny said weakly. Even with Dally's jacket wrapped around him, the boy was still shaking.

"I guess so." Pony mumbled.

"Shoot, Ponyboy…it's just hair." Johnny said, trying to sound cheerful. "It's gonna grow back."

"Shoot nothing." Pony cried out. "It took me a damn long time to get my hair the way I wanted it. This… this ain't us, Johnnycake. This is a Halloween costume that we can't ever get out of."

"I know man, but we had to." The older boy reminded. "They had our descriptions in the paper, we had to change them."

"I know…I just. I liked how I looked. And maybe…" Pony trailed off, turning around to hide his face. Johnny cocked his eyebrow.

"Maybe what?" he wondered.

"Nothing." Ponyboy dismissed. But Johnny wasn't at all convinced. He sat down on the ground, wrapping Dally's jacket around him tighter to keep in the warmth.

"Maybe Cherry Valance liked it too?" he pressed. Ponyboy turned his head around fast and stared at his best friend, unable to hide the red tinge that formed on his ears.

"No." He insisted. But Johnny knew he had caught him out.

"Aww come on Pony, face it…you like the girl." He said.

"I do not." Pony insisted.

"You do too, there's nothing wrong with that!" Johnny insisted. Ponyboy sighed and joined his friend on the grass, resting his head in his hands.

"I didn't do it on purpose." He mumbled.

"It's nothing to be mad about, Ponyboy." Johnny said, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder. "But, just remember, she is a Soc."

"I know that Johnny." Pony said. "But she's…"

"She's different, yeah I know you think that way. And I'm not saying you're wrong." Johnny insisted. "But you know who she's friends with…"

Ponyboy shuddered at the thought; it was true - he knew that she went around with that particular group; that Bob kid and Andrew Greene…

"That's not fair." Ponyboy said. "That's like saying all of us act like Dallas, or Tim Shepard."

"Alright." Johnny said, admitting defeat. "I just don't want you to get hurt, Pony…I've already done enough to cause that."

"What are you talking about?" Pony wondered, utterly confused by his friend's statement.

"What do you mean, 'what am I talking about'?" Johnny wondered, sounding a little hysterical. "In case you've forgotten, I killed a kid a couple of days ago! He couldn't have been any older than eighteen and I killed him. He was drowning you, Pony…I couldn't do anything else. "

Ponyboy was shocked. For the last few days, Johnny had been pretty tight-lipped about everything that had happened. Deep down, he knew that he was bound to crack sooner or later; the pressure of everything was getting too much to take for him to keep it in like he was. The two were silent for a while after that; the seriousness of their situation finally hitting them fully.

"It's all my fault that you're in this mess." Johnny said finally.

"What do you mean?" Pony asked.

"If I wasn't staying out in the lot that night we wouldn't be in this mess." His friend said.

"Johnny…"

"No, it's true." Johnny insisted. "I could have gone somewhere else, then you wouldn't have been home late, and we wouldn't have left. You could have been safe at home with the others if it weren't for me."

"I guess that's true." Pony said finally. Johnny nodded his head sadly. "But, there if you're here, I'm glad I am too."

"What?"

"Well, I wouldn't have let you do this on your own, now would I?" Pony wondered, smiling slightly.

"I guess not." Johnny admitted, a small shadow of a smile forming on his lips.

"We're in this together, right?" Pony asked.

"Yeah, we are."

oOoOoOoOoOo

"So, remind me again what it is that you're doing?" Angela wondered. Soda grinned as he lifted another door onto the make-shift workbench.

"I'm sanding down a door." He said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh, of course. Silly me." Angela said dryly, rolling her eyes. She sat on the hood of his dad's old car, which sat silent and unused in the back yard of the house. Sodapop had set up a makeshift work station by the small barn at the back of the house, as his little hideaway area. An old radio rested on the side by the car, currently blasting Elvis.

This time away from the others gave him a chance to not only think, but to get some chores done around his Grandparent's place; something that he never seemed to have time for these days. Even though he was used to being alone with his thoughts, and although he wouldn't really say it out loud, Soda was thankful that Angela turned up in the first place.

Watching him work so hard trying to restore the house, Angela couldn't help but smile. Here was a guy; gave up on school, is working so much to help his family out, sometimes struggling to make ends meet, yet still finds the time to help out anyone and everyone, and to do something amazing as rebuilding his grandparents house, because he wants to, not because he has to. It was the kind of love and determination that she really admired about him.

"What're you smiling about there, Miss Angela?" Soda wondered, pulling her from her thoughts. Angela shook her head, telling him not to worry about her, silently embarrassed that she had been caught out. Soda merely shrugged and went back to work.

"I was hoping to find some spare material around here for something me and the guys are working on." Soda said, carving away at the broken door.

"Working on what?" Angela wondered.

"It's a secret." Soda grinned, winking at her. He stopped and looked around, as though he was checking to see if they were alone. "Promise not to tell?"

"I promise." Angie vowed, crossing her heart for extra effect. Soda couldn't help chuckling a little at that, even if it was a little overdramatic.

"We're trying to make some baby stuff for Kathy." He said. "You know, a crib, change table, that kinda thing…okay, seriously why the smile this time?"

Angie grinned. "It's nothing. Just…all this what you're doing for Kathy and everyone…it's kinda amazing. And not just for Kathy, but the way you…I don't know, you look out for everyone."

"I'm not sure about amazing." Soda replied. But Angela wouldn't have any of that. She shook her head adamantly. "You don't agree?"

"No, I don't." she insisted. "Everything you do, Soda…you mean a lot to everyone."

"You're just saying that." Soda said, dismissing the thought. He shook his head before returning his attention to the door in front of him, not putting up much more of an argument. Angela rolled her eyes again and jumped off the hood of the car, walking over to him.

"You wanna know a secret?" she asked, leaning against the door, facing him. Soda smiled and put down the sanding block and turned to face her.

"Yeah." he said, crossing his arms over his chest. Angie nodded softly and turned to look up at the sky. It was getting darker and darker by the minute, and the sun had been eclipsed by clouds at least a few hours before. In fact, it was a wonder he was still working outside.

"You're the sweetest guy I've ever known." She said honestly, trying not to look at him out of the corner of her eye. When he didn't say anything, she gave in and turned her head a little. The expression on his face was something she hadn't really seen before. It was a mixture of surprise and disbelief, yet soft; as if he had honestly never considered that to be possible. Angie noticed something else on his face, something that she couldn't quite place. Then, as quickly as it appeared, it was gone, as Soda shook his head and grinned playfully.

"Come on." He said, not believing it for a second.

"I'm serious! You really are…and, let me tell you, sweet isn't easy to come by…especially around here." Angela insisted.

Soda sighed, knowing it wasn't any good to argue with her; the girl was a Shepard, and all of them were as stubborn as they come. He smiled in thanks and picked up the sanding block again.

Soon Elvis faded and was replaced with another song.

_Oh, my love, my darling_

_I've hungered for your touch_

_A long, lonely time_

_And time goes by so slowly_

_And time can do so much_

_Are you still mine?  
_

Angela watched him for a moment, scraping bits and pieces off the door. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye; watching her focus so intently on what he was doing.

"Have you sanded a door before?" he asked. Angela looked up at him and smiled, shrugging her shoulders.

"Would you believe it, I have never sanded a door before." She laughed.

"Well, I guess you'll have to learn." Soda said. "Watch me."

He grabbed the block once more and showed her which side to use, before getting back to work; showing her how to move the block, and which parts needed more sanding than others. When he was convinced that she knew what to do, Soda handed her the block and stood out of the way, letting her put her new found skills to the test.

For a beginner, Angela wasn't that bad. The only problem that Soda noticed, and a minor one at that, was the way she was trying to sand a small snag in the middle of the door.

"Hang on," he said as he moved back beside her. "Try it like this."

_I need your love_

_I need your love_

_God speed your love to me!_

_Lonely rivers flow_

_To the sea, to the sea_

_To the open arms of the sea_

He moved so that he was standing behind her, reaching his arms around so they were resting on hers. Angela tried her best to suppress her shudder as he rested his chin on her shoulder, helping him see what they were doing and giving him the ability to guide her.

"I think it's just a stubborn door." Angela said matter-of-factly.

_Lonely rivers sigh_

_"Wait for me, wait for me"_

_I'll be coming home, wait for me!_

"It's an inanimate object." Soda laughed. Angela shrugged silently; determined to focus on the door rather than the fact that he was so close to her.

A loud, rumbling noise caused the two to jump apart in shock. Immediately, they both looked up at the darkened sky, feeling the first few drops of rain their cheeks. Not a moment later, the rain started falling heavily, almost completely drenching them just standing there.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Angela cried, shielding her eyes as she looked up at the darkening sky.

"Come on, we gotta get out of here." Soda said. He looked towards the house; it was a fair distance away, so they'd be completely soaked by the time they reached the back door. So instead, he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the barn.

"What about the door?" Angie wondered, hastily grabbing the radio from the ground.

"There's no time." Soda replied, pulling her away.

The two ran as fast as they could towards the safety of the small barn. The rain was falling harder and harder, to the point where it physically hurt you to stand outside in it. Soda let go of her hand for a second, running over and pulling the door open. The two bolted inside, pushing the door shut as fast as they can before they got soaked anymore. As soon as if was shut, they fell back, leaning against the wall completely out of breath.

Angela felt her breath get caught in her throat as she turned to look at him. His usually greased hair was plastered to his face, completely dripping. His t-shirt clung to his chest under his shirt; shaping his body that in total honesty, was far better than Angie had ever thought of. With a shaking breath, she looked up to meet his eyes, only to find that he was looking right back at her. She could only imagine how she looked. Quickly, she turned her head towards the ground, letting her hair fall and act as a shield from his gaze.

Soda couldn't help looking at her. Her hair was a mess, she was completely drenched from head to toe; her make-up was slightly running…yet right there, in that instant, she looked beautiful. He reached forward and pulled her hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear, never removing his hand from her cheek. He ran his thumb across her cheek, causing her to look up at him with silent curiosity.

It happened before either of them fully realised what was going on; and neither one seemed to do anything to stop it. Slowly but surely, Soda leaned in closer, pressing his lips to hers softly and sweetly.

It was over just as quick as it happened. Soda pulled away, unsure , and waited for some sort of a reaction from the blonde. Angela simply looked at him in surprise. Her heart was racing out of control, and yet she felt as though she couldn't move a muscle. Her initial thought traced back to those cheesy, cliché romance movies that she sometimes watched with the girls; that spark that happens when you get kissed. As much as it scared her to admit it, she felt it…and by the looks of it, Soda had felt the exact same way.

_Oh, my love, my darling_

_I've hungered, hungered for your touch_

_A long, lonely time_

_And time goes by so slowly_

_And time can do so much_

_Are you still mine?_

Neither of them really knew who moved first. It probably didn't matter. Not a moment later, Soda's arms were around her waist, holding her close; Angela's arms were wrapped tightly around his neck; their bodies as close together as humanly possible; and their lips connected in a passionate kiss. It was like nothing either of them had ever felt. Never before had they felt so much passion, fire and need in a kiss.

Soda's hands moved frantically along her sides, trailing up and down, until they reached the hem of her shirt. He slipped his hands underneath, touching the soft skin of her back, causing Angie to gasp against his lips. In retaliation, her hands unwound themselves from his neck, fiddling with the collar of his shirt. His arms relaxed a little, allowing her to pull the shirt free from his shoulders. Soda shrugged himself free of the material, throwing it aside without ever breaking the kiss. Angela's hands found themselves at the bottom of his t-shirt, fiddling and fumbling with it, trying to pry it from his body. Soda pulled away slightly, allowing her to pull the rest of his shirt over his head, before capturing her lips with his own once more. His hands began to toy with the remaining couple of buttons on her shirt; tugging at them impatiently. Angie smiled against the kiss and unhooked them, slipping her shirt off and dropping it by her feet, leaving her in her thin wife-beater.

To say he was in a daze was an understatement. Soda felt as though his skin was on fire, begging to touch her and kiss her, wanting nothing more than to have her close to him. He had never felt anything like this before; not with any of the girls he had kissed, not with Sandy…

…oh god.

He pulled away fast, as if something had burned him. Angela looked at him with a mixture of hurt and confusion.

"What's wrong?" Angela asked.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." Soda said softly.

"Well, it wasn't just you." Angela pointed out. Soda shook his head and turned away.

"It shouldn't have happened." He said, pacing back and forth. "I…we can't…"

"We can't what, Soda?" Angela asked, slightly annoyed. "We can't act on something we feel? "

When he remained silent, Angela sighed. She knew it wasn't a lie…she had felt something, and she was positive that he had felt it too. If he hadn't, why did he look at her like that? Why did he allow it to happen, and let kiss her like that? She narrowed her eyes at him and walked over, stopping so she was standing directly in front of him, stopping him from walking away from her any further.

"Tell me it was real." She said. He didn't look up to meet her eyes, only hurting her further. She wasn't going to let him ignore her, not a chance. Angela bit her lip and put her hands on his face, just as she did earlier. "…Look at me."

He looked up at her, with sad, shameful eyes.

"Look me in the eye and tell me you don't feel it." She demanded. "Tell me."

Soda sighed, and took her hands in his, moving them from his face and holding them gently.

"…I'm not going to lie, Angie." He said softly. "I can't tell you there's nothing there…cause there is. But….I can't."

"Okay…" Angela said, pulling her hands from his, wrapping them around herself comfortingly. Soda sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Angie, I'm sorry. I care about you…a lot more than I should. But…this, this wouldn't be fair to anybody." Soda admitted. "Besides…there's Sandy."

They were the words she had been dreading to hear. Already she could feel the stinging tears threatening to fall from her eyes. But she wouldn't show weakness.

"Of course." She said quietly.

"Angie…" he started, but she held up her hand to stop him.

" No, don't say anything...please." She said. If she didn't get out now, there was no chance. "I get it. Really, I do. You love her. And I knew that…but it still hurts, you know?"

"Please, Angie, I don't…"

"She's lucky." She said, interrupting him once more. Her voice was breaking with every word. "She's perfect, you know? She's got the looks, the personality...she's so incredibly nice…and she's got you. And I envy her for that."

Soda remained silent. All he could do, was look at her brokenly. He hated seeing her like this…he couldn't stand to see her cry. But there was nothing he could do.

"I…uhh…I just hope that one day, I'll be good enough to be a little like her." She said, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "And maybe lucky enough to have someone even as half of what you are."

Shaking her head, Angela turned around, picked up her shirt and left, walking out into the pouring rain.

And all Soda could do was stand there, leaning in the entrance way of the barn, watching her disappear through the rain.

_God speed your love to-oo-oo-oo me…_


	70. The Truth Hurts

**A/N: Hey all. I know it's been a long time between updates, but life has been overly chaotic at the moment, but I won't waste your time or my time with excuses. But I think this will make up for it; 20 pages on word :P **

**Also, I am going ahead with the remodel of this story. I'll start rewriting chapters so that they're ready for immediate posting when the time is right. I'll finish this story first however. I calculated a rough guess the other night and there will probably be another 20 or so chapters of this story left, give or take a couple, so please hang in there! When I repost, this story will be separated into two; the events before the book and then the events of the book [that we are currently in the midst of]. As well as a sequel I have planned :) so stay tuned and enjoy the chapter! x**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the songs or poems I've used in this chapter. Also, as usual I don't own any of the characters, except the ones you don't recognise, or the plot unless you don't recognise that either.**

It was a dead-end night at the bar, and Lynn was tired. There were a few of the regulars scattered around the place as usual, and a small group of guys at the back of the room, but even though the place wasn't packed, her tyrant of a boss still had her working harder than ever. It was the graveyard shift, one she had been working increasingly often lately, since nobody else in their right mind wanted to work until three in the morning. But it was a little extra cash that she could put away for one of the kids, or to pick up something for Kathy and the baby.

Lynn was behind the bar, cleaning the few unbroken beer tankards they had that night, while waiting for the fresh pot of coffee to brew. She didn't pay much attention when she heard the door open. It was most likely just another insomniac who didn't wanna go home so they decided to come and booze it up until dawn instead.

"Long night?" a voice asked. Lynn looked up, smiling tiredly at the familiar face standing before her.

"Well, Officer Holden, what a surprise." She said, putting down the last glass. "What are you doing in a dive like this?"

"Just Jack, I'm off duty right now." He chuckled, taking his hat off and putting it on the counter in front of him. Lynn smiled and shook her head. She threw the ragged dish towel over her shoulder and rested her arms on the counter.

"Lucky you." She smirked. "Unfortunately, some of us are still on duty. What can I get'cha?"

"Coffee?" Jack wondered.

"Coming right up. Have a seat." Lynn said, nodding to an empty booth on the other side of the bar. Jack walked over and slipped his coat off and sat down, smiling gratefully as she brought around a fresh pot of coffee. He sat there quietly with his mug, reading the day's paper while Lynn went around, pouring more and more beers for the folks sprawled out around the place. Every now and then when she passed, she would refill his cup, pretending not to realise she was doing so. After about half an hour, Lyn returned behind the bar after another circle of the room and sighed.

"I'm taking a break." She called out to the back room, obviously where her boss was hiding out. "Been working all night, I deserve a time out." She grabbed a spare coffee mug and poured herself a drink before walking over to where Jack was sitting with the paper.

"You look tired." He noted, looking up from his paper as she sat down. Lynn chuckled slightly and ran her hand through her hair tiredly.

"I am." She nodded, not even bothering to be offended at all. "I've been tired for a long time."

Jack folded his paper in half and set it down to the side. "Well, I've been told I'm a pretty good listener." He offered, smiling gently.

"Oh, I wouldn't wanna trouble you with all that." Lynn told him, waving her hand dismissively.

"Come on, it'll be good to get it off your chest." Jack insisted. Lynn looked at him in slight surprise. She wasn't used to people listening to her problems, not anymore at least. Usually these days it was her having to do the problem solving. Finally, she sighed and shrugged her shoulders, looking down at her coffee mug.

"The kids."

"What, Two-Bit, or…" Jack wondered.

"Well, him too." Lynn clarified. "All of them really. All this stuff going on right now…it's not right."

"Melody told me about having to take another job. I hadn't realised things had gotten that bad. I mean, Darrel never said anything." Jack noted. Lynn scoffed good naturedly.

"Well, he wouldn't, would he? That boy's as proud as they come." She reminded him. She let out a sigh and took a sip of her coffee. "The amount of bullshit those four kids have suffered through this past year...they're only kids, Jack. Darry's twenty one going on forty five, and not far off a god damn heart attack from all this. The twins are working non-stop, balancing three jobs between them, and Ponyboy…" She couldn't even finish her sentence. Lynn let her head fall slightly as she thought about the two boys out there. "…he's just a baby. He should be out with his friends, and enjoy being a kid…not caught up in all this."

"The guys down at the station have been trying to find them for days. As far as I know, they aren't any closer to finding anything." Jack admitted. "They sure as hell aren't the brightest bunch of guys around."

"That's very comforting to know about our police department." Lynn scoffed, taking another sip of her coffee. "How can things change so fast? I never imagined that my kids would have to go through life like this."

"Not like the younger days." Jack agreed with a weak smile.

"I'm worried for my kids…all of them. Not knowing what can happen in this town…knowing there isn't anything that can be done about it. No childhood, no protection just…this."

"They're lucky to have you to worry about them like this, Lynn." Jack told her honestly, trying to reassure her. Lynn smiled softly and shook her head; she always believed her mothering habits were something to be resented, not admired. "Those kids have got something that not many have around here, believe me…I've seen some pretty serious cases."

"Not that that's doing much at all." She murmured in reply, staring at her cup once more.

"You're here with them." Jack told her. "That's more than I can say, myself."

Lynn sent him a look of confusion, wondering what he meant by that last comment. As if he read her mind, Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He looked inside with an almost fond, reminiscent smile before handing it over to her. Inside, were two pictures. The first, was a slightly worn photo of a younger looking Jack, smiling with a young girl sitting on his knee. The second, was of a young girl, looking as though she was in her early to mid-teens. She had long brown hair, and the prettiest blue eyes Lynn had ever seen.

"That's Rose." Jack said, a hint of pride in his voice. "That was taken when she was about fourteen. She turned seventeen last Tuesday."

"She's beautiful." Lynn smiled, handing the wallet back over to him. "Where is she?"

Jack sighed and looked at the photo once more before putting the wallet back in his pocket. "Baltimore, with her mother." He explained. "After the divorce, Lorraine wanted to leave town as soon as possible, and go back to where she grew up. She, of course, took Rosie with her."

"How long since you've seen her?"

"Eight years. I get letters and photos every now and then. And I call her when I can. But I haven't seen her since she was nine." He said, a hint of sadness in his voice. Lynn couldn't help feel terrible for him. Sure, her kids drove her completely mad, even to the point where she wanted to strangle them (particularly in Two-Bit's case), but she couldn't even imagine being that far away from them, let alone on the other side of the country, and for so long.

"Like I said, those kids are lucky to have you here with them." Jack reiterated. "The fact that you do it all on your own is something to be proud of."

Lynn smiled softly, not used to praise of that kind. "Sometimes I wonder what the hell I'm doing. At times like this, a part of me really wishes they were still here." she said quietly. It didn't take a genius to figure out who she was referring to. Jack nodded his head silently in understanding.

"I only met them a few times...a few minor things with some of the kids when they were younger. From what I hear they were pretty decent people." He said. Lynn smiled softly and nodded. What was said was a total understatement, of course.

"They were the two kindest, people I've ever known. Darrell and Maggie…no matter who you were, if you needed help, they'd give it to you, no questions asked. All the kids, hell even Dallas took a shine to them…they were more his parents than his own. They were there for me through a lot. Especially when Richard left." She said quietly. "The least I can do is make sure their kids are okay. But I honestly don't know what to do anymore."

"What you need to do is take a break." Jack told her comfortingly. "I know it's not easy…"

"You don't know the half of it." Lynn interjected. She didn't mean for that to sound so harsh. Even the mere thought of a break was beyond comprehension.

"…But it would help, I think. Maybe you just need a little time for yourself?" Jack suggested. Lynn looked up at him, smiling softly. It touched her that he was trying to help, but the idea of spare time was almost laughable.

"Time for myself? What is that? I don't think I've had time to myself for 20 years." She thought out loud. Jesus, that sounded worse said out loud. Lynn sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

"Life's too crazy for a break right now." She told him sadly. "I have an eight year old daughter trying to figure out how to live in this crazy town. I have a son who's trying to graduate again this year before he leaves home to move in with his girlfriend who is having a baby in three months. Between that, working in this place, trying to pay my rent, look after my kids and make sure another group of kids don't wear themselves out, I barely have time to even look at myself in the mirror…and at this rate I don't even think I want to."

"Lynn! Break's over." Her boss called out, startling them both for a moment, before he slunked back into his office where he was hiding. Lynn sighed and looked back at her unfinished cup before moving to get out of her seat. A hand reached out to stop her.

"You don't have to do all this on your own. It is okay to ask for help." Jack reminded her. "As for looking in the mirror? Well, I say you look rather lovely."

"Even though I'm going to be a grandmother?" Lynn wondered slyly. Jack shook his head softly as he finished the last of his coffee. He stood up and collected his hat and his coat, shrugging it on ready to face the night.

"Yes." He smiled, tipping his hat to her, and making his way out of the bar. Lynn stood watching the doorway long after he left, slightly confused by the exchange that just took place. A small smile graced her lips as she shook her head.

"Hey, can I get some coffee over here?" a voice called out from the other side of the bar. Lynn sighed and pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind as she got back to work.

oOoOoOoOoOo

If someone asked her what day of the week it was, or what time of day it was, Melody wouldn't have been able to say. Minutes, hours and days all blurred together into one, never-ending mess. The only time she could really tell day from night is when one of her brothers told her to get some sleep, more often than not having to physically drag her to the nearest bed or couch, even for five minutes.

It was getting pretty late, and the others who decided to stick around, were sitting outside by the porch, or in the living room talking quietly. After dinner, which was another unsuccessful event, Melody found herself sitting at Ponyboy's desk. A two-sizes too big jacket swamped her curled frame as she crouched in a ball, looking over the piles of notebooks and drawings that lay scattered and seemingly forgotten on the desk. But her little brother was much like her in that sense; he kept everything at his desk - his art, his homework, photos and drawings from days or years passed, all in one convenient yet purposefully messy place.

Along the wall were sheets of paper that Ponyboy had stuck up a while back. Each one had brightly coloured hand prints on them, one each belonging to their gang. Theirs, Steve, Kathy, Johnny…even Dally was up there, although in black paint, it was still there. Mel almost felt a slight ghost of a smile threaten to form on her lips as she looked at hers and Two-Bits; side by side, each with a small crease down the middle of their right hands. _Almost._

Pieces of poetry and songs scattered around on the wall. That poem by Robert Frost was one she noticed first; the two of them were still trying to figure out what the whole thing meant. Another poem was pinned beside it, slightly hidden by another sheet of paper.

_The Trail's End, by Bonnie Parker._

It wasn't really the type of poem she imagined Ponyboy having kept up there, but then again, Mel knew she shouldn't really be that surprised, the boy had a taste for everything. One paragraph in particular stood out more than others, and she wasn't entirely sure why.

_Some day they'll go down together_

_they'll bury them side by side._

_To few, it'll be grief,_

_to the law a relief_

_but it's death for Bonnie and Clyde._

Something about that poem struck something within her. Perhaps the words depicting a couple in love, on the run from the law before finally being gunned down together ran close to home? Not that that was something to be proud of.

Melody let out a sigh as she ran her hand over an unfinished sketch that sat atop one of his textbooks. It was as if he was only gone for a moment, and felt somewhat invasive that she was there in the first place. She had seen most of these before; old photographs, sketches of the gang or around town. But there were bits and pieces of paper and clippings that Melody had honestly never seen before.

There was one thing in particular that caught her eye. Hidden away under a pile of books and papers, a tattered corner of paper was sticking out, practically tempting Melody to discover it. Carefully lifting it out, she was rather surprised to see that it was a rather big piece of paper, covered in an array of photos and newspaper clippings. What surprised her even more, was that they were pictures of her and Dal. Photos of them when they were younger, right up to this day, some that Mel hadn't seen for years and thought lost. Surrounding them, were snips from the newspapers; little clips from some of the trouble that the two of them had managed to get into when they were younger, even some of the more recent things for Dal.

The heading is what caught her eye the most. In big black letters were the words

_Tulsa's own Bonnie & Clyde._

Mel couldn't hide a small smile that time. She vaguely remembered Two-Bit mentioning something like that a long while back. He thought it seemed to fit the two of them, although Darry didn't like the idea of his little sister being an outlaw or anything, or even acting like it. But Melody hadn't really thought about anything like that before. But for some reason, now it actually seemed to make some sense. Afterall, the two of them were always running around up to no good together, even since they were little.

Even thinking of Dally at the moment sent a sharp pain through Melody. No matter how often he denied it, all the times he tried, and failed, to convince her that he had nothing to do with all this mess, she had the worst time believing him. Even his attempts lately have been half-assed, like he didn't want to bother anymore. And the fact that he was currently nowhere in sight didn't really help his plea. But that's not what was hurting Melody the most. Being friends with Dallas Winston comes with a price; a lot of things you gotta put up and deal with. Being in a relationship with Dallas Winston takes a hell of a lot more.

Melody had always considered herself a fair person, especially when it came to Dal. For years she had helped him out, given him a place to stay, covered his ass when people went around asking questions - it was what you did when you were in a gang…and especially what you did when you love someone. But it seemed that it was becoming all too clear to Melody, that perhaps he didn't see eye-to-eye with her on that. A sore feeling in the pit of her stomach was telling her; something that she had been trying to ignore since this whole mess began. He just didn't seem to care, at least not where it counted. Not anymore.

Anyone who knew Melody Curtis knew that there was one thing that you don't mess with when it came to her; her family. Related or otherwise, her family was the one thing in her life she felt she had some kind of certainty over; something that no matter what happened, they'd be there for her and her for them in return. And you also knew, that if something happened to any one of her family, you'd honestly be best to start running right away. Dallas knew this better than anyone, or at least she thought he did. Even before they were together, before her parents died, she thought she understood how important it was to her. Hell, it was her family that took him in, treated him like one of their own so he wouldn't end up lying in a ditch somewhere. But now, all that seemed like it just didn't matter to him anymore.

Melody let out a shaky sigh as she wiped a few stray tears away with her sleeve. She knew he was lying, there was no doubt about that. He might have thought he was doing those boys a favour; protecting them, or at least protecting himself. But the fact that he was lying, not only to her family, but to her; feeling as though he couldn't even admit to having something to do with it, even though they all knew he did and not even giving them one word to tell them that they were alright; one word that could perhaps allow them all to get some sleep for a night…that practically destroyed her.

And something like that made her question where Dallas was…because this certainly wasn't the Dallas she knew…or thought she knew.

oOoOoOoOoOo

When he spoke with Officer Holden a few days ago, Darry decided to hold off the search party. It was clear that the boys were nowhere near town, otherwise they would have heard something, anything. But things were getting serious. They hadn't heard much from the Socs over the last couple of days, but things were starting to get around. People heard whispers and talk about what was going on in their side of town, whether or not they were going to do anything before they were found. But nothing had happened yet, and Darry wasn't entirely sure whether that was a good sign or not.

After dinner, everyone eventually ended up in the living room, trying their best to keep themselves occupied. It was strange; for a group that found things to do so easily, they were struggling. But, the more focused on something they were, the more rest they would get, thus helping them get to the bottom of whatever was going on. Kathy and Soda were sitting on the couch with a deck of cards, playing a game that resembled a mash-up between go fish and 52 pick-up. Darry was in his chair, lazily glancing at the newspaper, while Two-Bit and Steve were lounging on the floor.

"Hey Kath, have you…uh, you heard from Angie recently?" Soda asked casually, throwing a couple of cards down onto their pile. The blonde shook her head sadly.

"Not since a couple of days ago." She admitted. "I hope she's okay. She seemed to be kinda upset about something though. I'm sure she'd just worried about the boys, that's all."

Soda's face fell as she nodded softly. "Yeah…"

"I don't even know if Mel's seen her around or not. But I didn't even think to check before she locked herself away earlier."

"So she still hasn't come out yet?" Two-Bit asked, aiming his direction to anyone really. Darry sighed and shook his head, throwing a quick glance to the closed bedroom door.

"No…I'm starting to worry." He said tiredly, rubbing his eyes.

"You can't really worry about something like this." Kathy told them. "There's nothing any of us can do, if this is somehow helping her stay calm, then there's not much we can do, is there?"

"And this, ladies and Gentlemen, is why you are going to be one kick-ass mother." Soda told her with a grin. Kathy rolled her eyes, but smiled in thanks. The more reassurance she could get on the topic, the better she felt.

"Still…Soda and I gotta go back to work tomorrow. I feel awful leaving you all like this." Darry said.

"Hey, don't worry Darry. Kathy and I'll babysit." Two-Bit said, trying to raise the older boy's spirits a little. Darry sighed and sent a small, but thankful smile to Two-Bit. Even in cases like this, he knew how to put a smile on someone's face, despite how small that smile may be.

"Alright, I'm out." Kathy said, throwing down the rest of her cards as she started to try and lift herself off the couch.

"What were you even playing?" Steve asked, glancing at the array of cards that lay scattered on the couch between them. Soda and Kathy looked at each other and shrugged.

"I don't even know, but this little one doesn't want her mama to have any fun for too long, it seems." Kathy said. Once she was up off the couch, she headed down the hallway, stopping outside Mel's door to listen in for a moment before heading to the bathroom.

"Here's a random thought; has anyone seen Dally lately?" Steve questioned. Soda immediately fell hard, remembering the conversation he had with Angela the other day before…

He shook his head, forgetting about that as his hand instinctively came to his pocket. The note he wrote for Ponyboy still sat folded inside, waiting until he could figure out the right time to give it to Dal.

"I'm worrying about that too." Darry interjected, pulling Soda out of his thoughts.

"Too much worrying is going to give you grey hair, Darry." He told his brother with a small smile, pushing the thought of Dallas out of his head for now. There was no point getting too worked up over that right now. Darry instinctively brought his hand up to his head, running his hand along it, as if somehow checking for that illusive grey hair.

"Relax, Superman. You're still as greyless as ever." Two-Bit smirked. Darry sighed and rolled his eyes, attempting to go back to his newspaper.

"I just don't like this. He should be here. If not for us, then for her." He muttered.

"Maybe he's keeping a low profile?" Steve offered.

"Well, that would only give everyone reason to think he's got something to do with it." Two-Bit pointed out. Steve shrugged.

"You believe he doesn't?" he wondered. Two-Bit actually kept his mouth closed after that. "Look, all I'm saying is we got no idea why Ol' Dally does anything he does. But the fact is we all gotta be careful. We haven't heard nothing from the Socs. Who knows what could happen?"

"Yeah…maybe."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Kathy remained in the hallway, listening to the boys talk about Dallas. She sighed sadly, knowing that Steve was right. Dallas knew something they didn't, that much was painfully clear to them all. She loved the guy with all her heart; he was her hard-headed, reckless yet somehow sweet slightly younger brother in all ways that mattered. But Kathy knew that for such a smart guy, Dally was a moron when it came to certain things. And the way he was going about this, especially when it came to Melody, it wasn't right. She knew that they all had to get to the bottom of it all, and fast. She just hoped it wouldn't all end up as disastrous as she feared.

Instead of rejoining the others in the living room, the blonde quietly snuck past them, and slipped quietly into Mel's room.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"You planning on staying couped up here forever?"

Mel turned around and found Kathy leaning against her door. She let out a sigh as she turned around once again, looking away.

"It seemed like a pretty good plan." Mel mumbled quietly. Kathy sighed and walked inside, over to stand beside the desk.

"What were you doing out there?" Mel wondered. Kathy shrugged.

"Playing cards with Soda. I kinda gave up on those damn knitting needles." The blonde complained, rolling her eyes. Mel cracked the tiniest of grins.

"I can't believe you're learning how to knit." She said. Kathy grinned.

"If you can call it that...it's a work in progress." She said. Mel nodded her head, as silence fell upon them once again. Kathy looked around at all the pictures and drawings, smiling softly.

"He really is good isn't he?" she asked quietly. Melody nodded her head, smiling softly.

"Yeah…he is." She agreed. Kathy put her arm around her shoulders. The younger brunette leaned against her embrace, silently thankful for someone to be there.

"Hey, I remember these." Kathy smiled, running her hand along what used to be her hand print. Her hands seemed to look a lot different after three or four years. "Wow…seems like a lifetime ago, doesn't it?"

"…It was." Melody said quietly. To her, even last week seemed like more than a lifetime ago, let alone a set of pictures they made when she was fourteen.

"You okay?" Kathy asked, knowing it was a stupid question. But still, if she were in her shoes, she'd probably want someone to ask it, just to know they were there.

"Define okay." Mel challenged. She let her shoulders fall a little, not really knowing how to answer. "I just…I don't know what to do."

"None of us do, honey. We just have to wait and see what we can do next, that's all." Kathy told her.

"I'm sick of waiting."

"I know…we all are. But until we figure things out, there's nothing we can do. I'm sorry honey, I wish it was different…but it's all I can tell you now."

"I just wish we could hear something. Even a rumour would suffice right now." Mel said, closing her eyes tiredly.

"He's okay, Mel." Kathy insisted, rubbing her shoulder reassuringly. Melody let out a humourless laugh.

"You don't know that." She told her friend plainly. Kathy sighed deeply and shrugged.

"No, I don't…but I do know him. And I know Johnny." She said. "And I know that no matter where they are, or what happened…they're smart. And they know that they'll figure something out, then come back home. You'll see."

"I wish I could believe that."

"You can and you will, cause I told you so. You don't wanna go against a pregnant girl, do you?" She wondered, lightly nudging her friend with her growing baby bump. Melody smiled softly, letting out a light chuckle.

"Your jeans don't fit." She said with a smile. Kathy rolled her eyes and slightly slapped her shoulder.

"You're mean. Stop reminding me." She said, attempting to pull her friend to her feet. "Come on, I don't want you staying in here all night. Let's go."

Melody let out a defeated sigh; she knew Kathy was only trying to help, and deep down it was probably good for her to get out of that room for a while. Somewhat reluctantly, she got to her feet, keeping hold of Kathy's hand as they headed back out to the living room.

As soon as they were out there, Melody left Kathy's side and headed straight for the couch, into her twin's waiting arms. Soda smiled softly and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. Looking over his sister's head, Soda sent Kathy a thankful smile. The blonde waved him away, smiling as she went and sat by Two-Bit and Steve, who were having their own hushed conversation.

"You gotta stop thinking about them." Two-Bit said. "They haven't done anything yet."

"Exactly! They haven't done anything _yet._ Who knows what they're gonna do." Steve retorted.

"Not that this isn't completely fascinating and not at all paranoid…but what the hell are you two going on about?" Kathy asked, rolling her eyes.

"Stevie boy here thinks that the Socs are gonna get back at us." Two-Bit explained.

"I thought that was inevitable?" Kathy wondered. Steve shook his head.

"It is. But what I'm talking about is that they haven't done anything individually. We know they're gonna want to do something to get even, that's a given. But what about one on one?" he suggested. "They know the boys. They know who they are, they know where to find people, like us, who know them…what's to say they won't come looking for trouble before we sort it all out?"

"You're acting like this is some big conspiracy." Two-Bit said, rolling his eyes for good effect.

Before Steve could protest, a sharp, breaking sound was heard. Kathy let out a scream as broken glass went flying, landing all over the place. Darry and Steve were in their feet in a second, wondering what the hell had happened .Two-Bit quickly shielded Kathy from the debris and Soda held his shaking sister tight in his arms.

Lying in the middle of the room amongst the shards of broken glass, was a brick.

"What the hell?!" Darry demanded. Before he got any further, a loud angry voice was heard outside.

"You'll get what's coming to you Greasers!"

Darry bolted out the front door, with the other guys running hot on his heels. They ran out to the front gate as fast as they could, but by the time they arrived, the car was already screeching down the street.

"You had to mention it, didn't you, dumbass?" Two-Bit wondered, looking at Steve. But the younger boy was too busy staring down the street; looking torn between angry and frightened for his life.

Melody and Kathy were huddled in the doorway, holding each other tight. Mel couldn't stop shaking. Her usual steel nerves were completely shot to hell.

"They know where we live." She mumbled, clutching to her friend as if her life depended on it.

Darry was completely silent, gripping the gate with his fist; his knuckles practically turning white. Things had suddenly gotten more serious than ever before.

The boys were missing. Their gang was fracturing by the minute. The Socs were planning attacks on their family. How long would it take for this to end?

How far was this going to go?

oOoOoOoOoOo

Back at work for the first full time since everything happened, Soda was having trouble. He thought that maybe being at work, having something to keep his mind focused, would be good for him; that it would be easy. But if the last few hours were any indication, that was definitely not the case. The thing that confused him the most, was that it wasn't Ponyboy on his mind…or Melody for that matter. It was a girl…two girls…both with blonde hair.

He couldn't think straight, he couldn't work properly without it all swimming in his head. That day in the rain kept playing over and over in his head, like a scratched Elvis record or something. He couldn't tell anyone what happened, so he had to figure it all out for himself, and it wasn't an easy thing to do. He was with Sandy; he loved Sandy…didn't he? They had been together for a while, and he told Ponyboy that he was gonna marry her. Then why couldn't he get Angela out of his head?

He swore to himself that he wasn't going to be _that _guy; the guy that cheats on his girl. He had seen it happen in their neighbourhood too often. He wouldn't be that guy, he wasn't that guy…then why did he do what he did?

He and Angela kissed. He cheated on Sandy. He knew it was wrong, and he felt awful about it. But did he regret it? For some reason…he didn't think he could bring himself to even think of regretting it. It was just a kiss…but yet, he couldn't bring himself to think that. Something in the back of his mind, told him that that was just a lie he was telling himself to try and make things easier. Did he have feelings for her? That was clear. But what was it? He loved Sandy…he couldn't love Angela…could he?

Angela was beautiful, she had been one of his friends for as long as he could really remember. And she had that fiery attitude, that lack of reluctance to fight or answer back that came with the territory of being a Shepard. That was something Sandy never had, nor could have. Sandy was sweet, and quiet, really the opposite of what a Greaser girl was in their neighbourhood. Angela was feisty, and playful…and knew how to be one of the guys, getting dirty and fighting. Sandy was a girl's girl; make up, dresses and all that. The two couldn't be any more different…so why was he feeling like this?

Nobody had heard from Angela since…well, since that day at his Grandparents place. Nobody knew what happened, they just knew she hadn't been around. The look in her eyes; watching her cry…watching her run away, and knowing it was all his fault…it killed him. Angie said she wished she was a little like Sandy. Soda couldn't fathom a reason why. She was perfect as she was…

Soda let out a frustrated sigh and tossed the wrench onto the ground, slamming the hood of the car down hard. He felt guilty, but not remorseful enough for it to matter. He enjoyed it, as terrible as that sounded. But one thing was for sure…he had to do the right thing by everyone.

Soda had to see Sandy. He had to tell her what had happened, to clear his conscience…if not to help clear his head.

Cleaning his hands on an old rag, he shouted out to Steve, telling him he was taking his break, and headed to the car.

oOoOoOoOoOo

He actually got to Sandy's in record time, even with his, as Darry put it, 'reckless driving'. The first thing Soda noticed was that there wasn't a car parked at the house other than his, so that told him that Sandy's parents were out. The thought eased his mind slightly; this conversation was definitely going to go down easier without them overhearing. They were nice people and all, but he didn't really want them to be there for when he confessed to their daughter that he cheated on her.

Soda all but leapt out of the car and jogged up the drive, managing to slow himself down to a casual walk by the time he got to the front door. He took a moment to catch his breath, clear his mind and try to calm down. But the nerves had pretty much taken over deep in the pit of his stomach. Taking a deep breath, he looked at his feet and raised his hand and knocked twice. Too late to turn back now…

"…Soda?"

Sandy didn't bother hiding her shock and surprise to see him standing on her porch. Soda looked up and offered her a small smile as he took in her appearance. Her usual blonde curls were frazzled and piled up on her head in a messy ponytail. She looked out of breath and sweaty, and her sweater was covered in light patches of dust and dirt.

"Hey." He said, leaning in and kissing her cheek softly. Sandy smiled a small, tired smile as she leaned against her doorframe with her arms crossed, determined to stop her nervous fidgeting.

"What…what are you doing here?" She asked, stuttering a little. "I mean…I thought you were at work?" She wondered.

"Yeah. I'm on my break. I just…had to talk to you about something." Soda explained, rubbing the back of his neck. He wasn't going to back out; he had to do this. Sandy sighed and pushed a stray curl behind her ear as she glanced inside the house.

"Now?" she wondered. "Now's not really a…a good time."

Soda sighed and nodded his head. "I'm sorry. I know I probably should have called first and all, but it's important. I…" he was cut off by the sound of footsteps inside the house. Soda furrowed his brow a little and looked past her to see a flash of red hair walk past.

"Oh, it's just Evie. She's helping me with something." Sandy explained, opening the door a little wider to show her friend in the living room, putting a some kind of box on the couch. Evie looked up and nodded in greeting to Soda. She gave Sandy a pointed look before returning to whatever it was she was doing.

"Come on, Sandy." She said with her back turned away from them. "…If you don't I will."

The blonde shook her head and turned her attention back to Soda. He couldn't back out now, not when he had what he thought was her full attention.

"I don't know what happened but…" he started.

"Soda, she's pregnant." Evie said, appearing behind her friend. Sandy spun around to face her in complete shock.

"EVIE!"

"You weren't going to say anything." The redhead insisted, glaring at Sandy. It was no secret that Evie was tough; far tougher than Sandy, that was for sure. People often wondered sometimes how the two of them had ever become best friends. But never before, in the long time that they had known each other, there had never seen such coldness in her eyes as she looked at Sandy. Evie reached behind the door and grabbed what appeared to be her jacket before pushing past the two. "I'm outta here."

However, Soda paid no attention to either one of them. He stood there, staring ahead blankly; the shock evident on his face. He couldn't have heard her right. Sandy was _pregnant?_ Lifting his eyes, he looked up at her. Sandy had her eyes downcast, looking at her feet, clearly avoiding looking at him.

"…Wh-what?" he stuttered. He was pretty sure he had heard what she said, and he could only imagine the look on his face at that very moment. The blonde took a deep breath and looked up at him, finally meeting his eyes.

"…It's true. I'm pregnant." She said quietly. Just as he opened his mouth to respond, Sandy held her hand up to stop him. "…Why don't you come inside?"

"Uhh, yeah. Sure." Soda said, smiling gently as he stepped inside the house.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Walls."

"No."

"Door."

"No."

"Roof?"

"Definitely not."

"What about a picture?"

"…Yes Two-Bit, we can put a picture of Mickey Mouse in the baby's room." Kathy sighed, picking up another piece of popcorn out of the bowl resting on her growing stomach. Even after finding out they were having a little girl, Two-Bit was still insistent on having the kid grow up loving that darn mouse, whatever the cost. Two-Bit grinned triumphantly, believing he had somehow won the debate, while Kathy was just glad to have finally put an end to the conversation.

Hearing footsteps coming up front porch, Kathy inclined her head toward the front door.

"That you Darry?" she called out, not taking her eyes off the television.

"Not quite." A different, yet familiar voice replied. The two lazing on the couch forgot the TV instantly and turned towards the door.

"Shepard? What are you doing here?" Two-Bit wondered. Tim sighed and opened the door a little further, moving for just a moment before hauling what looked like a body into the house. A very familiar body.

"Heeeey Kathy!" Soda waved, laughing hysterically.

"I believe this belongs here?" Tim wondered dryly. Two-Bit and Kathy shared a look before springing into action, getting up off the couch to lend a hand.

"Jesus Christ. Melody!" Two-Bit called out.

"What?!"

"Kinda need you out here kid!" He replied, wrapping one of Soda's arms around his neck, trying to steady him. But he wasn't making it easy for them. Finally, to the others' relief, Melody's bedroom door opened, revealing a slightly tired looking teenage girl.

"Okay, wha…Soda?" Suddenly, seeing her twin struggling to stand, being held up by Shepard and Two-Bit, Melody felt more awake than ever. "What the hell happened?"

"I found him like this at Buck's. Thought he would probably be better off in bed." Tim explained.

"Long story short, he's drunk as a skunk." Two-Bit supplied. Melody rolled her eyes at her best friend, and walked over to her brother.

"Hey Sisssss…." Soda grinned. Melody gave him a small smile, resting her hand on his cheek.

"It's four in the afternoon. Soda, baby what happened?" she asked calmly.

"Well, I decided to have a little drink…" her brother shrugged.

"…or a lot." Two-Bit mumbled. Melody shot him a look, but Soda just laughed and nodded in agreement.

"Ha! Yeah maybe." He giggled. With Shepard's help, Two-Bit managed to drag Soda over to the couch, where he fell rather unceremoniously in a heap, still giggling at nothing in particular.

"Alright, well…I'm gonna leave you all to…that." Tim said, gesturing to Soda, now sprawled haphazardly, half falling off the couch.

"Thanks Shepard." Two-Bit said, voicing for everyone. Mel turned her head slightly and nodded, still keeping her eyes focused on her brother. Tim nodded once before heading out the door as abruptly as he came in. Melody sighed, running her hand through her hair tiredly as she sat down beside her twin, with Kathy and Two-Bit hovering by the arm of the couch.

"Soda? You wanna tell me why were you drinking?" she asked gently. Soda sat up, almost too fast. He grabbed the back of the couch to steady himself.

"Oh, didn't you hear? Sandy's pregnant." He told them matter-of-factly.

"What?!"

"Yep! She's gonna be a mama! Just like Kathy here." Soda grinned, tilting his head to look at Kathy upside down. The blonde offered him a week smile, as she ran her hand through his messy, unusually unkempt hair. Melody sighed and shook her head. Soda held his hand up, as if signalling them that he wasn't entirely finished with the explanation.

"That's not even the best part!" He told them. His tone of voice had changed. It was still teasing, but had suddenly darkened, and gotten more serious. "I...am not the father."

If he didn't already have their attention…he certainly did now. The other three looked at each other instantly, sharing a look of complete and utter shock.

"I'm sorry…what did you say?" Melody wondered, looking at her inebriated brother for any signs of joking or messing around. For someone who despised seriousness in all its forms, she had never seen him so straightforward.

"I ain't the dad. Some other guy is. So her parents are making her move to Florida with her Grandmother." He said waving his hand dismissively, as his eyes started to droop. He shut his eyes and settled back on the couch. "I'm sleepy…"

"Did Sandy say who the father was?" Kathy asked gently. Soda shook his head, still keeping his eyes shut.

"No…she didn't tell me." He yawned.

"Okay sweetheart, let's get you into bed."

Somehow, Two-Bit and Melody managed to pry Sodapop off the couch and practically drag him into his room, while Kathy went to get him a glass of water from the kitchen, and something just in case he was going to lose his stomach. When the three of them were sure he was comfortable, and practically sound asleep, they left him alone.

"Maybe you guys should be by yourselves tonight." Two-Bit suggested.

"You guys don't have to do that." Melody insisted, but Kathy shook her head.

"No, it's okay. You guys probably need some time out." She said. "Besides, Two-Bit's gotta head home to check on his mom and Teeny, and I'm pretty sure I should check to see if Scott's still alive and all."

"Alright, well I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow or something." Melody smiled softly. Over the last couple of days, she had never been so thankful to have friends like them. Not many people would spend practically every hour at their best friend's house, helping out with meals and dishes and washing, especially when they had two houses to help look after, and with a baby on the way too.

"You should go get some rest too." Two-Bit told her, offering a small smile, even though he was completely serious.

"I'll try." Mel promised, hugging them both in turn and walking them out to Two-Bit's car.

oOoOoOoOoOo

When Kathy got back to her place, she found Scott lounging on the couch with a bottle of beer. Hearing the door open, he looked up at her genuinely surprised to see her back home so soon.

"I thought you were staying at the Curtis' for a little longer?" He said, looking back at the television. Kathy sighed and put her bag down by the door before walking over to the couch. She shoved his feet off the seat, to his annoyance and sat down tiredly.

"Yeah well, thought they should have a little time to themselves. It hasn't exactly been an easy day." She said, rubbing her stomach absentmindedly.

"More stuff about the kid?" Scott wondered.

"Well, that too. But that's not their only problem. You know Sandy? Soda's girl?" Kathy asked.

"Yeah. What about her?" her brother asked, not really caring at all. He leaned back against the arm of the couch as he took a sip of his beer.

"She's pregnant."

As soon as she said this, Scott sat up, coughing and spluttering as he choked. Kathy sat back in surprised, prying the beer our of her brother's hand. He waved her away, telling her he was fine.

"…What?" he wheezed out. Kathy looked at him strangely.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Went down the wrong way." Scott insisted. "What were you saying about Soda's broad?"

"Apparently she's pregnant…and Soda's not the father. Some other guy is. He came home completely off his head drunk. It was awful." Kathy said sadly, shaking her head.

Scott was up on his feet in an instant. He left his beer on the coffee table and moved towards the door, grabbing the leather jacket that was hanging over the couch. Kathy looked at her brother in complete confusion; _what was he doing?!_

"Now where are _you _going?" she wondered, utterly confused by his the last few seconds. Scott merely shook his head, telling her he wasn't in the mood to talk.

"Out."

oOoOoOoOoOo

There wasn't a car parked in the drive, which made things slightly easier for Scott as he made his way towards the house; stomping his way up the porch steps, it was a wonder that didn't alert anyone inside that he was there. He wasted no time banging his fist against the front door, not stopping until the door opened. When it did, Scott came face-to-face with a more than annoyed blonde.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sandy asked, rolling her eyes. She wasn't sure whether she would be surprised that he showed up like this.

"Is it mine?" Scott demanded, not wanting to dance around the subject. She looked at him wide-eyed, not entirely expecting such a forward comment. But then again, she knew she shouldn't be so surprised coming from him.

"What?" The blonde replied.

"The kid, is it mine?" He tried again. Sandy sent him a look of disbelief before shaking her head.

"You're crazy." She told him, leaning against the front doorway. "You should get out of here before my parents come out." Scott let out a groan of frustration.

"You're parents aren't home, there's no care. Just tell me yes or no." he demanded, a little more forcefully. "It's really not that hard of a question. You said it wasn't Curtis', who else could it be?!"

"Don't…"

"Tell me!"

"Yes, okay!?" She yelled, tired of the interrogation. "…I'm pretty sure it's yours."

Scott sighed deeply, not realising he had been holding it in. So he was the father after all. _'Two for two with the Rawlins kids.'_ He thought bitterly. He knew sometime that this would all come back and bite him in the ass. He looked up at her, not entirely sure what to say or do; he'd never been in this situation before.

"So, uhh…" he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Is there anything…I mean…what do you want me to…"

"What makes you think I want you to do anything about it?" Sandy spat harshly. Scott quirked his eyebrow .

"Well, I am the kids' father…" he started, rolling his eyes.

"No."

"Excuse me?"

Sandy sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "You were a regret. Nothing but a drunken mistake." She said.

"Listen doll, I wasn't the one who started this, remember?" he reminded her.

"That doesn't change the fact that it was a mistake. Don't you get it? It was one night…a drunken mistake." Sandy retorted harshly, lowering her gaze to the ground.. "One that I'm paying the price for now."

"At least I'm man enough to own up to my mistakes." Scott sneered. Her head shot up fast to look him in the eye. Her eyes, usually warm and loving were now cold and icy. Scott had never seen anything like it.

"The kid might be yours but that doesn't mean a goddamn thing, you hear me? You're incidental. From this moment on, as far as we, or anyone else is concerned, this has nothing to do with you. If anything happens, I swear to god, come hell or high water I will go to the grave swearing it's Soda's."

"You already told him he wasn't the father. Are you really gonna put him through all that shit just for the sake of trying to save your fucking reputation?" Scott questioned.

"It's an easy mistake." Sandy shrugged, not one hint of remorse on her face. Scott shook his head in disgust.

"The kid doesn't deserve that. He's a good guy. Too nice and considerate for this kind of town, but hell, it's more than can be said for most. You must really think little of him to want to put him though that."

Shaking his head, Scott turned around and started heading towards his car. At the foot of the porch steps, he stopped and turned around to face her once more.

"You know, I thought I was cold. For some reason I actually thought you were better than that…Christ knows why. But turns out you're just like the others around here, aren't'cha. Acting like nothing but a cheap whore."

He didn't care if his words hurt her or not. It was the truth. And sometimes, more often than not, the truth hurts.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The next morning, Melody had managed to speak with her English teacher who gave her a few assignments she could do from home while she looked after her brother. She was always thankful that Mr. Syme was always so understanding about these things. He told her it was because she was one of his best students; but she knew that he was doing it because he understood.

She had been up most of the night talking with her brothers. Explaining in brief to Darry about everything that happened when he got home, and the rest talking with Soda after he woke up crying out. The things he had told her about his conversation with Sandy broke her heart; she couldn't believe someone she had trusted like that, especially with something as precious and fragile as her brother's heart, could completely turn like that. It only proved to her that there were very few people she could actually trust anymore.

True to her word, Kathy was back over at the Curtis place early the next morning. She came over rather confused, saying something about her brother acting weird the night before when she got home, but she was in bed asleep long before he came back, and gone the next morning; nothing really out of the ordinary she thought.

The two women were sitting at the kitchen table; one with a mug of coffee, the other with hot chocolate, but both with tired, and saddened looks on their faces.

"How is he this morning?" Kathy wondered. Melody shrugged her shoulders helplessly.

"Still asleep, thank god. I was up all night with him, so Darry called in sick for him before he left for work this morning." She explained to her friend. "How could she do that to him? I don't think I had ever seen anyone more in love than those two…except maybe Mom and Dad. She broke his heart, Kath."

"Poor kid. I can't even imagine what he went through because of her. I mean, I don't think I've ever seen him drink that much…ever." Kathy said, taking a sip of her drink.

"…He offered to marry her."

Kathy almost choked on her drink. "Curtis say what now?!"

Melody sighed and nodded her head sadly. "Even though she told him the kid wasn't his, Soda offered to marry her, help look after the kid. He told me last night and fell asleep with Mom's ring in his hand." She said.

"Jesus Christ."

"I don't know…I just don't understand anything anymore." Mel said sadly, looking at her mug. "You can't trust anyone around here anymore."

"Except me." Kathy said, smiling a little, hoping to lift her friend's spirit.

The two heard the screen door slam rather loudly, once again signalling the arrival of one of the others. The girls winced at the sound, hoping it wouldn't wake up Soda, though it was highly doubtful. Hearing the approaching footsteps, they turned to see who was there.

Standing with his hands in his pockets, looking rather out of place

was Dallas Winston.


	71. Some Good

**A/N: Hey all. Quick note here. I started back at Uni this week so I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next. So here's 32 pages worth to keep you busy til I do! Enjoy!**

The tension in the air was almost stifling. The two just looked at each other, neither one daring to be the first to say something. In any other situation, Kathy probably would have knocked some sense into the both of them. But she knew better; now was neither the time nor the place. Instead, she looked back and forth between the two for a moment before getting to her feet, taking the forgotten coffee mugs to the sink.

"Alright, so I'm gonna go…do something." She said bluntly, heading out the backdoor. Melody finally shook herself out of her little daze and rolled her eyes. Trust the blonde to 'forget' tact at a time like this.

"You're as subtle as a brick to the head, woman." She called out, rubbing her eyes tiredly. Of all the days for this to happen, why did it have to be now? A little warning and a chance to prepare would have been nice. Then again, she could never be that lucky.

"It's a gift." The blonde said, leaning in the doorway with the washing basket under her arm. "Don't break anything you can't immediately fix and remember your brother is asleep; wake him up and I swear I will smack both your heads together." And with that, she headed outside, leaving the two in an awkward silence.

"Subtle as a fucking brick." Melody mumbled to herself. She drummed her nails against the tabletop, feeling Dal's eyes on her. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. He was her boyfriend…well, he was supposed to be anyway. They were supposed to talk and smile and be together, not avoid each other's gaze and say nothing while standing in was undoubtedly the definition of awkward silence.

"How's your brother?" Dal asked, trying to ease into conversation. Melody didn't look at him, keeping her eyes completely focused on the table. The best she could offer him was a slight shrug.

"Heartbroken and undoubtedly hungover." She said quietly. "How'd you know about that?"

She could hear him shift on his feet. Good, he was anxious about this too. She waited as he gathered whatever excuse he was coming up with. "Buck. He told me that Sheppard found him and…"

"What are you doing here Dal?" Mel interrupted. She wasn't entirely sure if she intended to sound so harsh, but in total honesty, the last thing she wanted at that moment was to make small talk with him and only prolong the inevitable confrontation. The fact that he had been spending more time at Buck's than with them wasn't exactly helping his case either.

"What do you mean?" Dal wondered, looking at her confused. Again, Mel shrugged and looked at her nails, the table, even the wall…anywhere other than him. One look at him and she might not be able to say what she wanted to say.

"Well…this is the first time I've seen you in days. Thought you might have some more pressing matters to attend to." She said coldly. Dally sighed and ran his hand through his hair tiredly, knowing that this was going to be a lot harder than he had originally thought.

"Don't be like that." He told her. "I…Mel…can you at least look at me?"

"No." she replied simply.

"Why not?" Dal wondered, trying not to sound annoyed. Mel could barely hold back rolling her eyes again. What right did he have to be annoyed?

"Cause if I do, I know I'll say something that I might regret." She told him.

"Why's that?" Dal asked. Melody let out a harsh, humourless laugh as she got up out of her chair. She still didn't look at him as she headed to the sink, trying to keep herself occupied by cleaning the coffee mugs.

"If you have to ask me that then there's seriously something wrong with this." Mel said. Part of her couldn't help wonder whether or not he was just putting it on, or if he actually was having trouble figuring out why she was mad at him. Surely not…he was a smart guy after all…when he wanted to be.

Dal let out a frustrated groan as he rubbed his eyes once more. She was faced away from him, busying herself with anything she could get her hands on without having to look at him, and all he could do was roll his eyes at her stubbornness. "Look I know you're mad at me…"

"Real friggin' genius you are, ain't'cha Dal?" Mel quipped, not bothering to even try to cover the sarcasm practically dripping from her lips.

"Jesus…I'm trying, alright. Don't you get that?" Dal asked, raising his voice a little. He should have known talking to her like this wasn't going to be easy, it never was. Melody wasn't paying him any attention. Instead, she was looking out the kitchen window, out into the backyard.

"Why does she do that?" She wondered, more to herself than anything. Dal looked at her confused, not knowing what it was that she was looking at, but he wasn't going to risk losing a limb by walking over to find out.

"Why aren't you listening?" he asked. "I'm trying to make an effort to talk here. Why won't you listen?"

"Because I really don't wanna talk to you." Mel said simply. Again, Dal rolled his eyes, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Oh, well at least you're being honest." He muttered under his breath. Mel fought every urge she had to hit him. What right did he have to talk about being honest?

"You know what? You always do this." He stated. That sparked her interest slightly. Going completely against her better judgement, Melody turned around, finally looking at him face-to-face.

"Do what?" She asked, putting her hand on her hip expectantly.

"Get so pissed when you don't get what you want." Dal said, kicking himself off the wall and wandering over to the kitchen table. "Every single time."

Melody looked at him in disbelief. He couldn't be serious, could he? "Oh yeah sure, 'cause I'm such a bad person for wanting those boys home, aren't I?" she retorted.

Dal sighed once more in frustration, resting his head in his hands. "Look, I'm trying to do what you want; I'm trying to talk about all this." He told her, looking up at her again. "Why don't you wanna talk about this?"

"Why do you never wanna talk about anything?" Mel retorted.

"What do you think I'm trying to do?!" He was starting to sound like a broken record; repeating his case over and over, but just not getting anywhere. Mel felt a small, sarcastic smile on her lips.

"No, that's not what you're doing. What you're doing is trying to defend yourself and avoid the subject; which I've tried to get you to talk about since this shit all began." She told him, tossing aside the dish rag she was wringing in her hands. She leaned back against the kitchen sink to support herself and shrugged helplessly. "But what's the point? All you're gonna do is shove it away and ignore it like there isn't a problem."

Dal sat expressionless, and shrugged one shoulder almost carelessly. "…That's cause there isn't."

That was it.

Mel stopped and froze instantly. Surely he wasn't serious. Whether it was his tough 'no care attitude' that her still seemed to use, or he actually thought that none of this was a problem. Either way, there was no way in hell she could just ignore him now.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?! How is there no problem. Do I have to remind you about what has happened around here lately?!" She pushed herself away from the sink and began to pace rather frantically across the room. "A soc is dead! Ponyboy and Johnny are on there somewhere on the run! The Fucking Socs know where we live and are already threatening us…my family…YOUR family is in serious danger here. How is that not a problem?!"

The rest of her ranting was lost on him after she said that. He stopped and looked up at her, silently wishing he had misheard her. "Wait..what? What do you mean the Socs are threatening you?"

"…Never mind." Mel said, shaking her head and turning away from him. _'Me and my big mouth…'_

"Don't you fucking dare. Melody, tell me what happened." Dal warned, his voice dropping to a dangerously low level. Melody shut her eyes and let out a deep breath. It wasn't often he called her by her full name, and she always knew that he was serious when he did.

"Melody…"

"Well if you had been here you would know, wouldn't you?!" She cried out, unable to stop herself. Mel could feel her body shaking, not expecting the sudden outburst. Tears were threatening to well up in her eyes, but she wasn't going to give in…not now. Melody let her head fall, her hair falling around blocking her from his eye. "…Why weren't you here?"

Dal winced slightly at the sound of her voice. She sounded broken, almost defeated. He sighed and let his head hang low.

"…I'm here now aren't I?" He offered, as though it was the best excuse he could come up with.

"It's not the same thing!" Mel told him, looking up at him in exasperation. She wasn't sure how many times she had to go over the exact same thing with him. "You weren't here before when we needed you."

"Wait…how is this about me now?" Dally wondered, sitting up a little straighter in his seat.

"This has always been about you! Right from the beginning." Mel knew that something had started now, and there was no way to stop it. Dal looked at her with a quirked eyebrow, as if he couldn't see any reasoning behind what she was telling him.

"How'd you figure that?" he asked, almost as if he were challenging her.

"Because you've been lying to me…to all of us."

There it was. The big point, the elephant in the room that everyone had been avoiding since he got there. He knew it was coming, they both did. But that didn't mean that it was going to be an enjoyable subject of conversation.

"Jesus not this again." Dal mumbled as he leaned back in his chair.

"See, this is what I'm talking about! I try and talk to you about this and you just ignore the whole thing." Mel complained, running a hand through her hair. Dal grinned, slyly and shook his head.

"This isn't talking. This is you screaming and biting my god damn head off while I sit here like a freaking idiot and taking it." He told her, pointing his finger at her accusingly.

"Because you don't listen! You don't _want_ to listen." Melody repeated.

Dal glared down at her. Melody knew that he was starting to struggle with keeping his temper under control. But maybe that was a good thing. He kicked the chair opposite him out with his foot, causing it to move out from the table.

" You wanna talk, then talk." He said, motioning for her to sit down. She made no attempt to move.

"Don't do me any favours." Melody warned. "I'm not just going to sit down and…"

"Will you shut up?" Dal asked, tugging slightly at his hair. "I'm here, start talking about how I'm supposedly to blame for all this."

"Wow. Who knew a hood could get so fucking defensive?!" Mel bit back sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest once again.

"Well you're the one making such a big deal about it." Dal replied, throwing his hands up.

"Again, that was all you."

Dal groaned in frustration and gripped the top of the table tight, trying to keep a hold of his temper. "Why are you so convinced that I had something to do with this?"

"Because this has you written all over it!" Mel said in disbelief.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Dal questioned.

"It means I know you. You forget how long I have known you. I know the lengths you would go to protect Johnny….to protect any one of those boys. Doesn't mean you've done it the right way." Mel said.

Again, Dal sighed in frustration. He honestly wondered why he wasn't able to get a straight answer from her.

"Instead of talking all this bullshit, why don't you just come right out and tell me what it is you're accusing me of?" he offered.

"Why? You haven't listened to me before, what makes now so different?!" Mel wondered. It was like a never ending circle.

"Either you wanna talk or you don't! Will you make up your mind?!" Dal asked. "Just tell me exactly what has got you so pissed off."

"Oh, you mean other than you?" She spat.

"I thought we'd established that already." Dal said, resting his head in his hands tiredly.

Mel stopped and took a deep breath for a moment. He was sitting there, silent, and obviously pissed off, but still apparently willing to listen. It might have been her only chance for them to try and straighten stuff out while they could.

"Okay then." She said, She wandered a little closer to the table, opting to lean against the bench top. "How about the fact that someone who is supposed to love me, supposed to care for all of us, is flat out lying and is so deluded thinking that it's the best thing for everyone! What's more…continuing to lie even know we all know you're so full of it."

"Is that so?" He wondered, sounding rather bored. Melody did her best not to dwell on that too much. Biting her lip in frustration, she continued.

"Every single one of us knows that you had something to do with the boys running. You helped them out somehow…you know where they are." She said. It wasn't a question, and Dal didn't even bother denying it at that stage. "Why do you still pretend you don't have a clue? For days you've seen us look all over town…you've seen us cry ourselves to sleep or not even sleep at all…why would you let us all go through that if you know something that could help us?"

Dal said nothing. He sat in his seat, staring stone-faced at the wall. Melody didn't understand; this was his chance to say something…anything. Hell, she would have even preferred him to deny it all at that moment. But instead, his silence was completely deafening. Mel hid her face in her hands, trying her best not to break down.

"Don't you get it?! There is no point anymore! A single word Dallas…just a word to tell me if my brother is okay." She said, wrapping her arms around herself; practically begging. Again, he said nothing. "So you'd rather sit there silent…watching me scream and cry my eyes out at you rather than give me just a little reassurance? It's…it's like I don't even know who you are anymore."

She saw his face twitch slightly at that. Were her words starting to have an effect on him? Or did he just not like what he was hearing?

"What happened to you gotta do what you gotta do to survive?" He wondered. Melody sighed and shook her head.

"We're not talking about a small lie to the cops to throw them off the trail, Dallas! We're talking about family…You should know! You… you of all people should know what my family means to me. After everything this family has done for you…I just don't get it. It's like you don't trust me."

"It's not you I don't trust." He muttered.

"Then it's my brothers? Or the Guys?" She wondered. She walked over so that she was kneeling by the table, now looking at him straight in the eyes. "Talk to me!"

Dallas simply leaned back in his chair once more, and shrugged, which seemed to be his go-to action as of late.

"You said it yourself, babe. The Socs are close to wanting it out with all of you. They want cold blooded revenge and they don't care how or who they hurt to get it. What would happen if they knew there those boys are? So much for safe then, huh?" He wondered.

"I don't believe this. " Mel muttered, getting to her feet and moved away from him once again.

"Not just those boys, but all of you." Dal said. Mel stopped and spun around so fast it almost hurt her head.

"Don't try and turn this around, Dal." She warned. "What? You're hurting us to protect us?"

Dal ignored her once again and sat forward, leaning on his arms. "Now, talking about trust…where's the trust in me, huh? I know what I'm doing, kid. I've lived long enough around to know what to do in these situations. I hardly think you or any one of your brothers would know what to do in a murder situation, sweetheart. This is why you gotta trust me."

His tone was harsh and condescending, almost patronising. It stung her more than it should. Normally, growing up in a town like theirs, you don't really grow up learning about how to deal with murder charges. She turned around once more, away from him and wandered back over to the sink. She knew she couldn't hold it in any longer. Tears fell, burning like mad down her cheeks, as she felt her heart practically crumble.

"You want me to trust you? Dal…you're acting like someone I don't even know. Where's the guy who sat with me on the swings? I know it seems like a lifetime ago, but he couldn't have gone away that fast. I miss the guy who learned to dance for me. The one who actually stood up to my brother because he wanted to be with me…the one who talked about picket fences and tyre swings…where's the guy I fell in love with? Cause he's not here. He wouldn't do this…at least I thought he wouldn't. Cause now, all I see is the guy who robbed a liquor store when he was twelve years old." She whispered brokenly.

"That's not…"

But she didn't let him finish.

"All this…you've hurt me so much more than you could even start to know." She told him, wiping her eyes, attempting to be free of tears. Slowly, she turned around to face him, no longer caring that her face was red, her eyes swollen and sore.

"I thought I could do this Dallas. I really did. But this…this has to stop. I love you… I wanted nothing more than to follow you wherever…and for almost all my life I thought I could. Now I can't even stand to look at you."

She let out a shaky breath before continuing. The words had been playing on her mind over and over…words she hated…words she feared…but words she had to say.

"I put up with a lot in this family. I put up with a lot from you. But this…I can't, not anymore. So I'm done…I quit."

Those last two words brought Dal out of his daze and a surge of fear fell over him. What did she mean by that? He had a pretty good idea…but she couldn't mean it…could she?

"What do you mean you quit?" He asked slowly, hoping that her words didn't mean what he thought they meant. Melody sighed and shrugged helplessly.

"I'm out…I just can't do this anymore, Dallas. I can't be with someone who's lying to me about something as important as this. If you can't trust me then I really don't see any point in us being together. So, It's over." She told him quietly.

"Come on…you always say that." He said, smiling softly. He really thought she wasn't serious about it. Melody shook her head.

"Well this time I mean it."

It took him a moment or so to allow it all to sink in. Dal looked up at her; her eyes were red and focused, no hints of humour or joking around at all. She was completely serious…she was breaking up with him.

"But I'm your guy, that should mean something, shouldn't it?" He wondered, not willing to take no for an answer.

"Believe it or not, it does." She told him sadly. "Or at least it used to."

"Yeah seems that way right now, don't it?" Dal spat. Melody sighed in frustration, gripping her hair tightly in her fist.

"How am I still not getting though to you about this?! My family comes first! You of all people know how I feel about this. I'm just…I'm sick and tired of it!" she cried.

"I thought I was your family…you're just gonna blow me off too?"

"You're such an ass. I can't believe you're turning this around like that. Besides, it's no different to what you've been doing lately!" Mel accused.

"So you just wanna break it off, just like that?" Dal asked, getting to his feet. He ran his hand over his face, trying, and failing miserably, to calm down He threw his hands up in defeat.

"Jesus, look at us! This is exactly what I'm talking about!" Mel cried out. "All we ever do is fight!"

"Exactly!" Dal said in exasperation. "We fight..it's what we do. Sure it's pretty fucked up but that's just us. We yell and scream and you tell me when I'm being an ass and I tell you when you're acting like a freaking bitch. It's how we work!"

"Yeah well it's fucked up." Mel said. "I…I can't do this. I've given you so many chances, Dal and…I just can't anymore."

"Can't do what? You can't admit that I'm actually right for once?" Dal wondered. Mel sighed and hid her face in her hands, trying to remember how to breathe properly.

"Well, so much for talking about everything, right?" Dal sighed.

"Don't you dare put the blame on me! You did this…you did this by keeping me in the dark. Not anymore. So yeah…I wanna break it off. It's obvious that this isn't working like we thought. What point is there to keep it going?" She wondered, somehow surprised at the words coming out of her mouth. "So, this is how it's gonna be; I'll try to get my life back on track, try and find my brothers WITHOUT your help. You can do whatever you want, okay? Party all night, rob a store, see other girls if you want…"

"I don't want other girls! Don't you freaking understand that! The only girl I want is you…"

"If you really felt that way we wouldn't be having this conversation." Mel said coldly, as she turned away from him. All she wanted was to get out of there and fast. She heard him sigh, and take a step toward her.

"Babe…"

"Don't you fucking babe me!" Mel screamed, spinning around once more. She glared at him as she grabbed the car keys that were lying abandoned on the bench. "I'm serious. This is done. I don't want you here."

"Where are you going?" Dal asked as she pushed past him to head towards the back door. Melody ignored him until she reached the door.

"Out…don't be here when I get back." She threatened, heading out the back. She found Kathy hanging out the washing, trying to be subtle and act like she wasn't able to hear a word they had said.

Melody stopped on the back porch when she heard the sound of a chair being dragged harshly across the kitchen floor, followed by Dal's screaming.

"Oh of course that's the end of the whole fucking conversation, isn't it?! You say what you want and don't let others have their turn, then when they say something you don't wanna hear, you turn and run away. Great fucking Job, Melody. Real mature. You know what? Fine. Have it your way then!"

The sound of angry stomping feet was heard, soon followed by the sound of the screen door slamming shut and the roar of a car's engine, and Mel knew that he had left.

All of a sudden, the realization of what had just happened suddenly hit her. Gripping the set of keys in her hands tight, Mel felt as though she had been knocked to the ground, unable to get back up on her feet. Before she could realise, she fell down on her knees, landing in a heap on the ground as she began to sob. Kathy made her way over to her as fast as she could, kneeling down in front of her friend and resting an arm around her reassuringly.

"Oh sweetie…" she said softly, trying to comfort the distressed girl.

"W-Was I too h-harsh?" Mel stuttered, almost silently. Despite the situation, Kathy held back a smile - trust the girl to worry about being too harsh in a break up.

"Maybe those things just needed to be said, Mel." Kathy offered.

"It…it's really over." Mel said to herself softly, repeating the words over and over, almost as though she was still trying to believe that it was true.

Suddenly, she felt another pair of arms wrap themselves around her shoulders, slowly pulling her to her feet.

"Come on, baby." Said the soothing voice of her twin. Mel allowed herself to be picked up and lead back into the house by both Kathy and Sodapop.

The two helped her into Soda's room and sat her down on the bed. She didn't say anything, just sat there and allowed the tears to fall down her cheeks as the entire scene played over in her mind. Soda and Kathy talked quietly by the doorway before the blonde nodded and left the room.

"I'm sorry all that woke you up." Mel said softly. Soda grinned lightly and shook his head.

"Don't worry about it." He told her, running his hand through his mess of hair.

"No, it wasn't fair…you should be resting." She insisted. Soda sighed and sat down beside her on the bed, pulling her into his arms.

"A hang over is nothing. Besides, you're way more important." He told her honestly. Melody sighed and leaned into her brother's embrace, having never been more thankful to have him there for support.

"How could I be so stupid? I knew he was lying…we all did. I'm such an idiot." Mel whispered.

"No you're not. You're in love…that kinda tends to screw us up a little." Her brother assured her.

"I meant what I said in there…"

"Well, I'd be surprised if you didn't."

"But I still feel like it's all my fault." She said.

"No, don't think like that." Soda told her. Mel sighed and pulled away from him to look at him face-to-face.

"Think about it, Soda. That night…it might not seem like my fault to you all…but you weren't there. I'm always going to feel responsible for it. If I didn't leave with Two-Bit to go to Buck's that night…if I had taken them home…they wouldn't have stayed out that late and then Pony wouldn't have run away, Johnny would have…" she stopped suddenly, unable to bring herself to say it. "…my little brothers would be safe at home…with me."

"Oh baby…"

"I just…wish I hadn't have been so selfish." She said. Soda looked at her confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"I feel like I've been so focused on my own life…it feels like I've forgotten all about the rest of you sometimes."

"Mel…you haven't forgotten us." He assured her.

"But it feels like I have. I just…got so caught up in being with him…" she whispered.

"Melody…you gotta remember that you're still a kid…we all are. You're allowed to spend time away from your brothers and have fun…it's what you're supposed to do." Soda told her, running his hand through her hair gently.

"It's hard to remember that sometimes." Mel said quietly.

"Hell, ain't that the truth." Soda agreed. Mel sighed and rested her head on his shoulder once more.

"Part of me regrets letting him go." She admitted almost silently. "I know what's in my heart and…it's killing me."

"You love him…" Soda reminded her.

"It's not just that. I've never felt like this… love him so much it actually scares me." Mel told him.

"You two have been through a lot." Soda said. "You gotta face it, Mel…there's no rule for this kind of thing. I know it's rough…but you just don't have no say in it sometimes."

"I never cared about anything…just that he was mine. And…I honestly thought he felt the same way. I guess I was wrong about that."

"Well, I guess both our love lives are kinda screwed." Soda joked, trying to lighten the air. Mel winced slightly. In all her babbling about Dallas, she kinda stupidly forgot that her twin was also nursing a heartbreak himself.

"Baby, I'm sorry about Sandy." She said quietly, kicking herself mentally for not stopping sooner. Soda was quiet for a long while; Mel thought she had said something wrong, or that he was just thinking about her…

"Thanks," he said quietly. "But…it wasn't just Sandy I was talking about."

Mel pulled away from him once more and looked up at him surprised.

"…What?"

oOoOoOoOoOo

The next morning, after Mel had been sent off to school and Darry had been calmed down and told what was going on then sent to work, the remaining teens thought it was necessary to do some damage control after the disastrous effects of 'Cyclone Mel & Dal'. Getting the boys together, Kathy, Soda, Steve and Two-Bit headed on over to Buck's, knowing that Dal would have crashed there after leaving the Curtis place the day before. They didn't even need to ask where Buck where Dal was, they just nodded in slight greeting and headed up the stairs to Dal's room.

"So we're gonna barge in there and wake him up despite what is sure to be an overly painful and tragic hangover?" Kathy wondered, digging deep into the bag of chips she had brought with her. The three guys looked at each other for a moment before shrugging and nodding their heads.

"Yeah. Anything wrong with that?" Soda wondered.

"No, that's pretty much what I was expecting." The blonde said, putting another chip in her mouth.

"Remind me again why you brought those?" Steve wondered, eyeing the bag of chips in her hand.

"I'm gonna take a wild guess that you don't know much about cravings, huh Steve?" She wondered. Steve shook his head and subtly tried to reach for the bag. Kathy glared at him and slapped his hand out of the way, hugging the bag closer to her. "Mine."

"Well, now we have that out of the way…" Two-Bit said, opening the door and marching in. The group had a pretty good idea of what they were to expect; a total mess. They surely weren't disappointed. There were empty beer cans thrown all around the room, and littering the bed. Clothes, bottles and cigarette butts lay scattered on the floor with an overflowing ashtray by the foot of the bed. Dally, completely unaware of them even being there, was lying on his stomach, passed out and half hanging off the mattress. It actually took them a moment to make sure that he was even breathing; although the drool seeping out of his open mouth should have been a clear sign.

"Steve, wake him up." Two-Bit said, nudging Steve forward a little.

"What? Why me?" Steve wondered, jumping away from the bed.

"Cause we value our lives more than yours." Two-Bit said. Steve glared at his buddy before shaking his head completely serious.

"Man, I ain't waking him up. "

"Uhh…yeah, you are."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not. "

"Oh my god, you two are acting like babies." Kathy said, rolling her eyes. She grabbed a half empty glass from the bedside table containing…she wasn't exactly sure what, and poured it over Dal's head.

"You've got more balls then them put together, Kath." Soda commented with a slight grin. The blonde woman shrugged before turning her attention to the now awake and spluttering hood.

Dally jerked awake instantly, gaping and rubbing at his face. "Wha-?" he wondered sleepily, brushing his messy and now slightly damp hair out of his eyes. Finally managing to pry an eye open, he looked up at the group, then around the room. After a moment or two, memories of what apparently happened the night before seemed to rush back, causing Dal to groan and hide his face against the pillow once more.

"Jesus…leave me the fuck alone, will you?" he groaned.

"No way, man." Soda said. Dally sighed tiredly and shifted so he was lying on his back.

"Why the hell are you in my house?" he wondered, scratching his chest.

"Firstly, this isn't your house, you're at Bucks. Second, we know what went down between you and Melody, so naturally, we're here to ambush you." Steve explained. "Two-Bit even mentioned something about a battle cry if you didn't wake up."

"Thank fuck he didn't." moaned Dally. "My head hurts enough without your dumb ass screaming. And that doesn't explain why I'm covered in bourbon."

"Oh so that's what was in there."

"Kathy poured it over you to wake you up." Soda shrugged. "I wouldn't light a match anywhere near you…especially judging by your breath."

"Oh gee thanks…why are you here? I thought you were pissed off at me?" Dal asked Soda. The younger boy shrugged.

"I am…doesn't mean I won't be a good friend and come over to see if you're okay after drinking yourself into oblivion." He said.

"Well aren't you a fucking saint?" Dal grumbled, choosing to ignore Soda's joking warning and striking a match against his Christopher medallion.

"Glory Dal…how much did you drink?" Two-Bit wondered, kicking an empty can away from the bed.

"Well, I'm sober enough to know that you lot are here, so I'm guessing nowhere near enough." responded Dal. He put his cigarette to his lips and reached around under the bed, pulling out an unopened six-pack.

"Thanks for the offer man, but we don't wanna drink this early," said Steve.

"Two-Bit drinks this early." Dally noted.

"Two-Bit's an idiot." Kathy pointed out, rolling her eyes.

"Hey!"

"Whatever man, that wasn't an offer. " Dally said. "So get your own, these are mine."

"Oh, no, they're not," said Soda, grabbing the beers from Dally.

"You really wanna drink this early?" asked Steve sceptically.

Soda sighed tiredly. "I'm not gonna drink them, stupid. I'm confiscating them off Dally."

"That's a waste of good booze…" said Dally, lunging for the cans. His coordination wasn't exactly up to scratch, causing him to stagger a fair bit. Soda took advantage of this and jumped out of his reach and held the cans up high.

"_No one_ is drinking these." He passed them over to Kathy, who shoved them in the top drawer of the dresser for safe keeping and stood in front of it like a guard.

"I can't deal with shit today. I need to drink and just lie here." said Dally seriously.

"Oh, get over it!" snapped Soda. "Okay, you and Melody broke up. You've broken up at least a dozen times. I'm sorry, I can only play the good brother and friend for so long. And I'm sorry, but you're not going to kill yourself or just lie here and do nothing."

Dally pouted…no joke, the toughest hood in town actually pouted. "I'm hungover, forcibly single and tired. The only logical thing to do is just drink beer." He paused. "Actually, maybe some vodka. Straight…in fact, don't even worry about a glass."

"We're not letting you drink beer, so there's no way we're gonna let you have vodka." Steve told him.

"Tequila?"

"Nope."

"Whisky?"

"No way."

Dally plopped himself down on to his back and looked up at the clock. "It's ten in the morning. Why are you here so early?"

"Well, knowing what happened, and knowing you, we thought the best thing to do would be to come over here as early as possible thinking you might try to down yourself in alcohol…" Kathy told him. Gesturing to the empty beer cans, she noted, "We were right."

"Can't even drown my fucking sorrows in peace." Dally said sarcastically, falling back against the pillows once more.

"Not when you're friends with us, Dal." Steve said. Dal scoffed.

"Some friends. Why can't you just be normal people and leave me the fuck alone with my misery?" he wondered.

"Because that's no fun." Two-Bit said, grinning.

"I don't exactly know what it is you guys are trying to accomplish here." Dal said tiredly. "The kid made it very clear yesterday what was going on. So we're over, it's done. What is there to do about it?"

"There's nothing that can be done about it." Soda said. "Whatever happened between you and Melody…"

"Like the whole world didn't hear…" Dal muttered.

"Whatever happened between you two is done. There's nothing that any of us, or you for that matter, can do about it." Soda continued, ignoring Dal's little inclusion. "What we can do, first off is to make sure that you're okay."

"I don't need a pity visit, thanks very much." Dal bit back.

"It's not a pity visit. It's friends helping out a friend when he needs it…even though he pretends he doesn't." Two-Bit added.

"Things have to go on. We still have to look for Ponyboy and Johnny, and you and Mel eventually have to put all this behind you somewhat…life goes on. It sucks sometimes, but it does." Soda said.

"Look, I know what you guys are trying to do and all…but there's no point. So just…I don't know. Just go." Dal said with finality as he turned around on his side away from them.

The others weren't sure what to do. Sure, they weren't expecting him to be overly thankful for their concern, but had hoped, even just a little bit, that they would be able to get through to him. Shrugging his shoulders, Soda nodded for them all to leave.

"Well, that was a bust." Steve said as they all headed down the stairs.

"What do we do now?" Two-Bit asked, cracking open a can of beer he managed to sneak out of the room. The others looked at him as if he were crazy. Kathy rolled her eyes and smacked the back of his head.

"Oww!"

"Well, there's nothing we can do really." Soda said. "Wait and see what happens. But like I said in there, we can't just stop everything. He'll come around soon enough and we can go from there."

"Well, I'm outta here. I promised Mel I'd meet up with her and go to English class." Two-Bit said. "You coming babe? I can walk you home."

Kathy shook her head and looked up the stairs. "No…you guys go ahead. I, uh…I'm gonna try something else."

Two-Bit nodded and kissed her cheek before he and the other two headed towards the door. Just as they were about to leave, Soda stopped and headed back to Kathy. He handed her a small envelope that he pulled out of his pocket. Kathy looked down and instantly knew what it was instantly. She looked up at him and nodded, smiling softly as she put it in her pocket. Soda smiled in gratitude before joining the others out the door.

Kathy sighed as she headed back up the stairs towards Dal's room. When she walked in, Dal was sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to her, looking blankly out the window. Hearing the door open, he turned around and sighed.

"You guys just don't quit, do you?" he wondered.

"You really think you'd get off that easy?" Kathy wondered, putting her chips on the bedside table and crossing her arms over her chest.

"I had hoped." Dal muttered tiredly, almost as if he were giving up the fight.

"Well you ain't that lucky kid." Kathy smirked. She pushed herself off the wall and started to pick up the various remains of bottles and cans from the floor.

"What are you doing?" Dal asked, watching her in complete confusion.

"Cleaning up, cause it's pretty obvious that nobody else is gonna do it." Kathy told him simply. "It's one of the few things I can still do while looking like I swallowed a planet."

"Why can't any of you get it? I just want to be alone right now. I wanna be alone, I wanna drink, I wanna smoke…and I wanna forget." Dal groaned, letting his head rest in his hands.

"Not a chance." Kathy said simply.

"What?"

Kathy sighed and tossed a can back to the floor. "Listen to me good. If you wanna do this whole 'self destructive, I don't give a damn anymore' routine, then go ahead and be my guest." She told him, gesturing around the room. "But you can't keep thinking that we're just going to stand back and let you. You gotta stop thinking that you're alone in it all. Be prepared for someone to actually want to help you."

"And why should I do that?" Dal asked. Kathy offered a small smile and sat down beside him on the edge of the bed.

"Because believe it or not…there are people who do." She said. "Whether you want them to or not."

Dal looked at her for a moment and sighed. He knew she was right, as much as he wanted not to believe her. Things were always so much easier when they were done on your own.

"Why are you doing this, Kath? Why are any of you even bothering with me? I thought I was the bad guy in all of this" Dal asked rather harshly. Kathy didn't seem fazed in the least. She looked at him and simply shrugged.

"Cause you guys are all I've got. We're all anyone's got." Kathy told him, showing no sign that she was messing around. "So, right now. You're going to take a shower and actually turn back into a human being. And then you're going to come back in here and you're going to talk to me."

"And what makes you think I'll do that?" Dal wondered.

"Because I said so." Kathy shrugged simply. She knew she had him there. The look in his eyes said that all he wanted was to refuse, but she knew he wouldn't. She had to admit that it was handy having that sort of power sometimes.

"…Fine." Dally mumbled, getting up off the bed. Kathy sent him a triumphant grin.

"Good, cause you smell like a bourbon soaked ashtray." She said. Dallas rolled his eyes and grabbed the cleanest clothes he could find before disappearing into the bathroom.

While he was gone, Kathy took the chance to get rid of all the trash and junk off the floor. She tidied up the piles of clothes that were thrown all over the place, as well as emptied the ashtrays and made it seem like there was actually a floor underneath all that junk. As she moved a pile of shirts away from the floor, something caught her eye…it was a record. As she picked it up, Kathy noticed that it was the record of the music from a movie that Mel and him took the boys to go see. _West Side Story._

A small smile graced her lips as she covered the record up again and continued her little cleaning spree. When Dal returned, the place looked a lot better, and so did he for that matter.

"See? Now you look human. Feel better?" she wondered, managing to hold back the grin that was threatening to show. Dal muttered something under his breath as he pulled his shirt over his head and threw his towel over his dresser.

"Why do I even listen to you?" he wondered, pulling out a cigarette.

"I'm like the sister you never had. And you're the slightly younger brother who always begrudgingly listens to me cause he knows I'm pretty much always right." She explained, shrugging slightly. Dal rolled his eyes as he lit the cigarette and leaned against the wall.

"Okay, I gotta ask you." Kathy started. "What exactly possessed you to think that drinking Buck out of house and home would be the best way to deal with all this? I mean…it seems to be a running thing with you lot."

"It seemed like a good idea at the time." Dally shrugged.

"If I had a dollar for every time something 'seemed like a good idea at the time'…exhibit A." Kathy mumbled, looking down at her stomach, running her hand over the bump gently. She just missed the flicker of a smile on Dal's face as he looked out the window.

"Listen, okay? I know you're not gonna want to hear this…but you know why she did it. She's worried and she's hurting. It's a lot for the kid to take on, Dal." Kathy told him.

"And I'm not?" Dal wondered, somewhat defensively. Kathy sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"I didn't say that." Kathy assured him. "But if you think that you're not in the wrong with then, than honey you're a few cans short of a six pack…then again, I think I found those on the floor earlier."

Dally mumbled to himself, putting his cigarette out in the ashtray before stalking over and sitting on the edge of the bed. Kathy raised her eyebrow. She knew Dally well, better than a lot of folks in town. The gang had seen a side of him that not many people were privy to; a side that was a sweet, caring guy, hidden somewhere his icy exterior. And although he would never admit it, she knew that he was ultimately battling with himself about what he could and couldn't say. By the looks of it, he definitely wasn't going to reveal any worthwhile information on his own.

"So…you gonna tell me what's going on…or do I gotta beat it out of you?" Kathy wondered sitting down on the edge of the bed. Dal looked at her, eyebrow raised in disbelief.

"Yeah right." He scoffed.

"I'm serious. Every time you lie to me…I'll hit you." The blonde suggested. Dal grinned.

"I highly doubt that." He said. Kathy looked at him, almost as though she was challenging him.

"You gonna lie to me?" she asked.

"No." Dal said. Kathy raised her brow and slapped him with the back of her hand. Dal flinched slightly in surprise; he hadn't actually expected her to hit him.

"First one right there. I told you I wasn't kidding." Kathy said. "How else am I gonna get the truth out of you?"

"This is insane…you're insane." Dal told her.

"No, what's insane is you sitting there not talking at all. It's not that difficult, Dal." She said. Dal remained silent. There was really only one thing she had to ask.

She looked down at her hands. "Did it really happen? Did Johnny really…"

"Kath…"

Slap.

"…No."

Slap.

"…Why'd you…"

She went to hit him again, but he was too fast for her. Dal grabbed her wrist as gentle as he could, stopping her. Kathy looked up at him silently, watching his face for any sign or anything. Dal let out a sigh and finally met her gaze.

"…Yeah." He said quietly. It shouldn't have been a surprise to her; the papers had written stories about it all week, taken from eyewitness accounts. But hearing it confirmed properly like that, Kathy felt her heart break.

"And you know where they are." She concluded, needing him to confirm it - he needed to say it. After another moment of silence, Dal nodded. Again it was something she already knew, but hearing him say it just made the entire situation seem…more real.

Kathy pulled her hand from his grasp and nodded, silently willing herself not to get too worked up right now. But that was a lot harder than she had anticipated.

"…That wasn't so hard now, was it?" She said, her voice breaking a little. She wiped her eyes slightly, sighing in frustration. "Stupid hormones."

"Don't say I'm an idiot for doing what I did, okay? You wouldn't understand…none of them understand." Dal told her, running his hand through his hair.

"I wasn't going to say that. I know if anyone knows anything about this kind of stuff, it's you." Kathy told him, offering a slight smile. "I know you wouldn't put them in any danger."

"How do you get that and she doesn't?" Dal wondered, falling back against the bed in frustration. Kathy sighed and twisted a curl loosely around her finger.

"Maybe if you had told her what you did for them; told her exactly what you just told me…then maybe she'd understand. But the thing is…you didn't give her a choice. " She told him. Dal remained silent, and stared up at the ceiling.

"If she had known, then she would be able to have a good night's sleep. They all would. But you didn't…and that's why she did it…why she couldn't trust you." Kathy said.

"So what you're saying is that I screwed up." Dal wondered, still looking at the roof. Kathy offered a small smile and stretched out on her back beside him.

"…Pretty much, yeah." She nodded.

"Did I do the right thing letting her go?" Dal asked quietly. Kathy sighed internally. It was strange hearing Dal sound so, well…fragile.

"Face it, you didn't have much of a choice, did you?" She said, shrugging slightly.

"I can't even shrug it off and say she was just come chick…" Dal muttered. Kathy sighed

"Listen darlin'…Melody loves you…don't look at me like that, you know it's true. But she's hurt, big time. She just needs some time to cool off." She said.

"I had three months of cooling off in the cooler." Dal muttered.

"And she had three months without you having no choice in the matter." Kathy reminded him gently. "But you know what? It's okay. Things are all going to work out. You know how I know that?"

"Do tell." Dal said, rolling his eyes.

"Cause this little girl right here is gonna have a happy family." Kathy smiled, putting her hand on her stomach. "…and that definitely includes her Uncle Dal."

Dal's eyes widened at that last part, Kathy couldn't help but laugh. "Jesus Christ…" he muttered, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Yeah, well get used to it kid. You're top of my babysitter's list at the moment." Kathy joked, judging his shoulder. "So be nice or I'll name her after you."

"How, it's a girl?" Dal wondered. But Kathy merely grinned and shrugged her shoulders.

"I'll think of something." She promised. Dal could only shake his head and grin.

"Poor kid has to put up with this crazy ass family." He said.

"That's us. One loud, crazy, dysfunctional, fucked up greaser family. And you know what? I love it." Kathy said proudly. "…I know you do too."

Dal didn't agree with her…nor did he disagree. He simply turned his head and stared up at the roof once more. As silence fell upon the two, Kathy wondered if anything she said had gotten though to him. She did get him to open up and admit to knowing more than he lead on, that had to mean something, right?

"You're not the bad guy, Dal." She said quietly.

"You sure about that? I'm not exactly the hero here." He retorted.

"There are no heroes or bad guys…this is real life. Whatever you did for those boys you did it because you had to and because you know it would keep them safe." Kathy insisted. "You've made some mistakes, we all have…but you've never been the bad guy Dal…never."

What Dal asked next, Kathy would never forget. The way his voice didn't rise above almost a whisper, and the sheer helplessness of his words struck a chord deep in her chest. "…Will you always be there to save me from myself?"

"…probably." She replied, without a hint of hesitation. Dal raised his eyebrow, not once taking his eyes off the ceiling.

"Why?" he asked.

"Cause that's what we do." She told him honestly. "It might not be easy at times…but I will be there for as long as you need me."

Her answer seemed to satisfy him. Hell, he wasn't even expecting her to give him a response at all. How the hell did she manage to answer a question like that? And how the hell did he manage to ask it? The fact that he was questioning himself scared Dal to no end…and the fact that he could so easily admit that to himself without so much as a fight, scared him even more.

"You want a chip?" Kathy asked, offering him the bag and gaining his attention once again. Dal looked at her or a moment before chuckling.

"You're crazy." He said, reaching in and grabbing a handful. Truth be told, and that seemed to be the fashion as of late, Dal was glad for the distraction. Kathy smiled and shrugged, taking some for herself.

"This is nothing." She told him. "The other night after dinner, I had bacon, ice cream and pretzels, all in the same bowl."

"Oh yeah, you're nuts." Dal said, shaking his head.

"It's disgusting, I know. I can't help it though. Little Miss likes kicking me in the ribs and making me eat weird food." She said, looking down as if she was talking to the baby."Well if she thinks she's getting crazy crap like that when she gets out she's got another think coming."

"You're gonna make a great mom, Sis." Dal said quietly. Kathy could feel the smile creeping up on her cheeks.

"Yeah?"

"…Yeah."

Kathy smiled at him before turning to look at the roof once more. "I guess it's just that need to look after people. Motherly instincts kicking in already." She said. "Then again, I already have to deal with you lot all the time."

"I'm not disagreeing with you there." Dal said, chuckling softly. Kathy smiled, then remembered something.

"I need you to do something for me." she said softly, as she pulled Soda's note out of her pocket and handed it to Dal. He looked at it for a moment, as if sizing it up. The questionable look on his face made it almost seem like he thought it was going to bite him or something.

"What is it?" he asked.

"A letter from Soda. I need you to give it to Ponyboy when you see him." Kathy said, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. For a moment, it looked like Dal was actually contemplating saying he wasn't going to see him; after all, that had been the typical response lately. But to her relief, he said nothing, but took the envelope and nodded his head once.

"Thank you." She said quietly.

Maybe…just maybe, she had done some good after all.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Walking down the drive, Steve and Soda parted ways with Two-Bit as he headed towards the school. As the two headed down the street, Steve couldn't help noticing that something wasn't right with his buddy. He had his hands shoved in his pockets, eyes dead on the ground as they walked. Steve could almost hear the thoughts buzzing around in Soda's head. Sure, it could have been the kids missing, or Mel breaking up with Dally, but something in the back of his mind told Steve that it wasn't as simple as that.

"Hey buddy, you alright man?" he asked. Soda looked up at him for a moment and nodded once.

"Yeah man, I'm fine." He said distractedly. Even he must have known that wasn't convincing at all. "I just got a lot on my mind."

"Look, I know it's rough…but Mel's a tough chick, she'll get over all that. And we're gonna find those boys." Steve said, patting his friend's shoulder reassuringly. Soda offered him a small smile in thanks.

"Thanks buddy…but it's not just that." He said.

"Then what?" Steve wondered. Soda stayed quiet, kicking a rock at the edge of the curb as they walked.

"I'm thinking about Angie." He admitted. Steve sent him a look of confusion.

"Angie? What about her?" he asked. Soda let out a deep sigh and shrugged.

"After…it happened, I went to my grandparents' place to work on the house a little bit. I don't know, I just needed to get away. And Angie came and found me. Long story short I guess…something happened." He explained.

"Something happened?" Steve pressed.

"We kissed…I mean…it wasn't just a kiss. It was…I don't even know man." Soda sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I can't get her out of my head…it's driving me crazy. Plus everything else…and Sandy…I don't even know what I'm thinking lately."

Steve didn't say anything. He could see that his best friend was a mess, especially after everything that happened over the last week or so. And now this was just adding to the problem.

"Hey listen buddy, I gotta run. I'll meet you back at your place later." Steve said as he turned on his heel and started headed back the way they came.

"Where you goin'?" Soda called out. But Steve didn't reply; if anything, all he did was pick up pace a little more. Soda watched his friend leave and shook his head, not even wanting to figure out what just happened.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Steve knocked on the door impatiently, waiting for someone, anyone to come and answer it. He was about to give up and turn around to go home when he finally heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs towards the door.

It was apparent, as soon as she opened the door, that Angela wasn't expecting to see Steve on her doorstep. In fact, she didn't think she could recall a time where he was actually at her house. And the fact that he was there now, well, she wasn't entirely sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Steve? What are you doing here?" she wondered, leaning against the doorway.

"What we're you thinking?" he asked, not beating around the bush, so to speak. Angela tilted her head slightly in confusion, not expecting his outburst.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"You knew he was with her and you still did something like that." Steve told her. Again, she had no idea what he was talking about.

"I'm afraid I'm not following you…"

"You kissed Soda!" Steve interrupted. Angela's eyes went wide as she gripped the edge of the door tightly. She could practically feel the colour draining from her face.

"He told you that?"

"What does it matter? You did it, despite the fact that he was with Sandy. That's not cool, Angela." Steve exclaimed, shaking his head.

"Well, not that it's any of your business, but it takes two for these kinds of things, Steve." Angela quipped, crossing her arms over her chest. "And besides, why are you yelling at me for? What about Sandy? She's the one who went and got knocked up by another guy WHILE she was with him. Why aren't you beating down her door and screaming at her?"

"She's not here. If she was…look, she's not here. The point is that you did it…whoever started what. And…you need to leave Soda alone." He said.

"I'm sorry?" She questioned, unsure that she had heard him correctly. "What makes you think you can say that?" She bit her tongue to stop herself there. What right did he have coming and saying that to her.

"He has enough on his mind right now with everything else and he doesn't need anything else to add to that." Steve said. Angela avoided his gaze, looking instead at the ragged excuse of a doormat beneath his feet. "It is cause he's my best friend, okay? He's cut up about Ponyboy and Johnny being gone, and now sandy leaving…he doesn't need this."

"You mean he doesn't need me. That's what you're trying to say, isn't it?" Angela wondered harshly.

" He's already had his heart broken enough, he doesn't need any more from you." Steve retorted.

"…What makes you think that I would do something like that?" Angela questioned; her voice starting to crack, betraying her calm state. "You're not the only one who cares about him."

"He isn't thinking straight right now." Steve assured her, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Look…he loves Sandy…and he's not over her. He's got a lot to deal with right now so just back off...please."

Angela held back a scoff; it was almost as though he thought that saying please was going to make his whole speech okay. "Go to hell, Steve." She said, turning to walk back into the house. "And don't worry…tell him he doesn't have to _deal_ with me anymore."

And with that, she slammed the door in his face, leaving him standing on the porch somewhat dumbfounded. Steve stared at the closed door for a matter of moments before he realised he should have already been walking down the street. Kicking a stone along the path, he couldn't help wondering, he had done the right thing, right? All he was doing was just trying to do some good.

…right?

oOoOoOoOoOo

"What the hell is taking so long?" Mel wondered. She was pacing back and forth around the living room. The guys had been gone for a few hours now, and she couldn't help but feel a little worried. Kathy sighed from her spot on the couch and looked up at her friend.

"Sweetie, don't worry. They've only been gone a few hours…I mean, who knows how long these things take to figure out?" She said, trying to be helpful. But by the looks of it, she wasn't exactly helping to calm Mel down.

"They're having a war council with the Socs…why does none of that worry you in the slightest?" Mel asked. "I mean, the fact that it's called a WAR council isn't exactly reassuring."

"Oh, I'm sorry…am I not worried enough?" Kathy wondered, rolling her eyes. Melody sighed and stopped ran her hands through her hair.

"I'm sorry, you know I didn't mean that." She said. The blonde looked at her for a moment before offering her a smile.

"I know, it's okay." Kathy assured her, getting up to head to the kitchen. "But you really gotta stop pacing, you're going to wear a hole in the floor. Just sit down and relax, they'll be back before you know it."

Sure enough, just as soon as Melody sat down, they heard the sound of cars pulling up on the drive. It took every ounce of strength Mel had not to jump up and attack them all at the door. She waited til she heard the comfortingly familiar sounds of boots and sneakers on the front porch and the inevitable sound of the screen door slamming open.

Steve and Sodapop were the first inside, looking rather tired. Melody was just about to ask how the meeting went when she stopped short, as Darry and Dallas both carried in a beaten down looking Two-Bit.

"Jesus, what happened?" Mel asked as her brother guided Two-Bit to the couch.

"Socs jumped him. When we got there he didn't need much help though. He was definitely holding his own." Darry said. Two-Bit grinned, despite his busted lip and blackened eye.

"You sound like that's a surprise to you, Dar?" he laughed. Kathy heard voices and came in from the kitchen.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed, immediately rushing to her boyfriend's side. "Baby, what happened to you?!"

"Kath, relax, I'm okay…really." He told her, although he was smiling at the attention a couple of bruises and scrapes were getting him. By now, Sodapop had returned with the first aid kit, and handed it to Kathy to help get him fixed up. Two-Bit tried to put up a fuss as Kathy cleaned him up, but he wasn't fooling anyone.

"So how did it all go?" Mel wondered, looking at her brother, though she was really waiting for anyone to answer her.

"We're having a Rumble against the Socs, two nights from now in the Lot." Darry explained. "Tim's offered his outfit to give us a hand…"

"That's putting it mildly. He practically was jumping at the chance to get at those bastards." Two-Bit chuckled. He winced as Kathy dealt with the gash on his forehead. She laughed at his complaining and gently kissed his lips. Mel couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy watching the two, and she hated it. She looked away, only to unintentionally meet Dal's gaze. She looked away quickly, not wanting to cause any trouble. The last thing any of them needed right then was something to start out between her and Dal.

"So what happens at the Rumble? I mean, what are the stakes?"Kathy wondered, unknowingly being praised by Mel for her interruption. She was now curled up on the couch in Two-Bit's arms.

"If we win they leave us alone for good." Dal said, speaking up for the first time. "If they win…"

"…nothing really changes." Kathy finished for him, already knowing the answer.

"Shepard and a few of his outfit will meet us at the Lot to discuss how we're gonna go about all this. All of you are welcome to drop by, but don't feel like you have to." Darry said, addressing everyone.

"As if any of us are gonna miss out on something like this, Superman." Steve grinned, already pumped at the idea of a rumble.

"Well…how about I go get something started for dinner? You boys just relax and I'll call you in when it's done." Kathy offered, unlatching herself from Two-Bit's arms and heading into the kitchen.

"Thanks Kath." Darry said, offering her a tired smile as he sank into his chair, practically exhausted.

Mel sat on the arm of the armchair, alone with her thoughts. A Rumble? That's how bad things had gotten. A war, murder, and two missing kids which now meant both sides were finally going to go head to head, now that they had a good reason for it.

A part of her thought that this was just some bad movie, and she should just stand up out of her seat and get out while she could. But this was no movie; no writer could ever really come up with the stuff they've all gone through lately. This was real life…and it just got a hell of a lot scarier.

Maybe some good will come out of tonight at the lot. After all, things could hardly get any worse, now could they?

oOoOoOoOoOo

It was rather dark when the gang decided to head down to the lot to meet up with Shepard's outfit, with the sun already setting, but still light enough for it to be considered day. A few of the Shepard guys already had a fire going by the time they arrived. A couple of cars were parked, with guys sitting on the hood or leaning by the doors; others had clearly walked and were all hanging around waiting.

The best thing about the Shepard gang, was that they were tough. Any member of a gang was tough, but for those boys, it was a specialty. Even the Shepard kids themselves had the tendency to be a little more lenient towards certain folk.

The group broke up as soon as they reached the gang. Darry and Dal immediately went to see Tim, shaking his hand and getting stuck into figuring out the finer points of the upcoming rumble. It had been a while since something like this had happened, and they couldn't afford to go in unknowing - there was just too much at stake.

Two-Bit, Steve and Soda dispersed among the guys, finding those they knew or certain buddies to discuss, particularly in Steve's case, the chance to 'show those Socs what they're in for'.

Kathy and Mel, on the other hand, headed over to the worn out couch by the fire. It was worn and ragged, and usually used for Steve to stash his hubcaps, but it was better than standing around. One of Shepard's guys was lounging on it, but made quick work of finding a new place when Mel and Kathy appeared.

"Okay honey, you've barely said a word since dinner. What's on your mind?" Kathy asked, seeing Mel staring off completely into space. The brunette shrugged her shoulders heavily.

"I don't know…too much I guess." She admitted. "I can't help have this bad feeling about all this."

"Just try not to get yourself too worked up over it all. You're no good to use if you are." Kathy said, trying to make her friend smile. It didn't do much, but Mel gave her a small smile anyway. She knew she was trying, but even that was hard at the moment.

"Hey, is that Angela?" Kathy wondered. Mel turned to follow her friend's gaze until she spotted their other blonde friend sitting on the hood of one of the cars. However, that wasn't the most surprising thing.

"...Who's that with her?" Mel wondered. Sure enough, Angela wasn't alone. Sitting next to her, with his arm wrapped around her shoulders, was a member of Shepard's gang. Tall, dusty blonde hair and fell in his eyes. He was cute, but Mel couldn't help noticing that something wasn't right. It was only a few days ago that she was talking about her feelings for Sodapop, and now all of a sudden she was hanging off another guy? Something didn't seem right.

"I've seen him before…what's his name? Geoff or something?" Kathy wondered.

"Greg, I think." Mel said. "But something's not right."

"If you're talking about the fact how she's supposedly got over dear old Sodiepop pretty fast, then you're not wrong there." Kathy quipped. Mel turned to face her with a shocked look. Either Sodapop told her what happened, or she was honestly that good at picking up on things.

"What? I pay attention to these things." Kathy shrugged, turning her attention back to the couple. Melody smiled and did the same. It was obvious that Angela wasn't trying to pull away from Greg at all, in fact she was leaning her head on his shoulder, getting rather cosy. But there was something in her face, despite the smile, that told them otherwise.

"We can't go judging if we don't know the full story." Kathy said, once again trying to be the voice of reason.

"Really?"

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen." Kathy agreed. Suddenly, her face dropped instantly, "…Uh-oh."

"What?" Mel asked. Kathy didn't say anything, but nodded across the lot. Standing with a few of the others was Sodapop. But he wasn't listening to anything that was going on around him. He was looking towards the car; particularly at the couple sitting quite happily on the hood. The shattered and forlorn look on his face almost broke their hearts.

"Poor kid." Kathy said, shaking her head softly. "He doesn't deserve all that."

Mel could only shake her head in agreement. With all the trouble going on at home, with the whole Sandy saga, and now this, it just seemed that her brother couldn't catch a break at all this week.

"Hey Mel? You might wanna check this out." Two-Bit said, running up to the couch and pointing behind them. Mel looked at him in confusion before following where he was pointing. A car was pulling up a little way away from the group. It was obvious it wasn't one of theirs; it was far too expensive looking to belong to any of them. The girls looked over at the rest of their group, who had all stopped their conversations to pay complete attention to the new arrival.

As the driver's door opened, a familiar and unmistakable flash of red hair got out of the car; Cherry Valance. Mel's eyes widened in complete and utter disbelief. What on earth was she doing here, especially now. Not only was she part of the reason there had been so much trouble this week, but for her to show up here and now, so far from her turf and right in the middle of a gang of highly pissed greasers…the odds weren't exactly in her favour right now.

"Shit." Mel muttered, practically leaping off the couch and running towards the group. Kathy and Two-Bit looked at each other before making their way over to the group.

Whispers and muffled voices were heard throughout the group. Talk of not letting her get any closer, and jumping her right then and there for coming onto their turf alone. Most had no idea who she was, with the exception of the gang and Shepard, who had been there that night. But that didn't matter. All the others knew was that she was a Soc, and that was good enough reason as any to jump her.

Darry and Tim were standing at the front of the group, looking as tough and intimidating as they could, with wasn't that difficult at all. Dally and a few of the others stood to their side, ready to pounce at any time. By the time Mel got there, Cherry was walking over, rather timid but standing her ground. Mel had to give it to her, she was obviously frightened as hell…and with good reason. She walked up and stood behind her twin, waiting to see what was gonna happen.

"You're far from your turf, Soc." Tim said, crossing his arms over his chest. Cherry could barely hold eye contact with him. She looked around, glancing at members of the group, hoping to find one face she could at least recognise. She knew the big guy next to Tim was the remaining Curtis brother, remembering how Ponyboy had described him that night at the drive-in.

"I know." She said quietly, trying to build up courage. "I came here to talk."

"We don't talk with Socs!" a voice from the group called out. A chorus of voices agreed loudly, making Cherry jump slightly.

"She's the dead kid's chick." Another called out harshly. Even Mel had to admit that that was uncalled for.

"We should just jump her now and get it over with." Again, voices called out in agreement. The whole ordeal was making Cherry even more nervous, and the shouts and threats weren't exactly helping the situation.

"Now hold up!" an all-too familiar voice called out. Mel, as well as the majority of the others turned around to see Two-Bit trying to push his way to the front of the group.

"Two-Bit, what are you doing?" Steve wondered. But Two-Bit ignored him and pushed his way to the front, standing beside Darry. The relief was evident on Cherry's face that there was someone she knew, plus he was telling them to give her a chance to speak.

"I think we should let her talk."

"You're out of your mind, Two-Bit." Tim said, shaking his head as he turned to Cherry once more. "Get outta here, kid while we let'cha."

"I'm not leaving until you hear me talk." Cherry insisted, surprising even herself at the firmness of her voice. Tim raised his eyebrow in surprise.

"Ohh, she's fiery, this one." He said, laughing rather cruelly. A few of him outfit laughed with him, others still wanted to either jump her or just make her leave. Darry stood silently, staring at her; trying to figure out what her angle in all of this was. He had to give it to her, the kid had guts coming out here like this, or perhaps she was just not using her head at all. But Two-Bit said they should hear her talk, and despite the fact that the boy tends to say more than he should, he was there that night. After all, it really couldn't hurt to try.

"What do you want?" He asked her needing to get to the bottom of it fast. Cherry looked at him for a moment, never actually hearing the elder Curtis speak before now. The clear authority that seemed to pretty much radiate from him was rather intimidating, but once again Cherry stood her ground.

"I wanted to ta…" she started.

"Yeah, we know you wanted to talk. Here's your chance." Darry said, wanting to get right to the point. The last thing he wanted right now was some Soc wasting their time when they could be using it to prepare.

"I heard what happened to Ponyboy and Johnny." Cherry said, looking at the ground slightly.

"Yeah, you and the whole city." Sodapop pointed out. When the redhead met his gaze, he offered her a small, but slightly reassuring smile. Sure, he didn't particularly like the girl being there, but so far she didn't need the attention she was getting.

"Have you heard anything?" she wondered.

"Do you think we would be here if we did?" Darry wondered sharply. The girl held back a flinch and sighed, nodding to herself.

"Look, I…"

"You what? You came out here to give us some sob story because it was your guy that was killed?" Dally interrupted, spitting his words like venom. He didn't make any secret of the fact that she shouldn't be there. After all, it was her fault all of this happened.

"Like it would make a difference to us. No matter what, you got the breaks…you tell your sob story and everyone pities you. What about us, huh? Two-Bit was jumped today, Mel a little while before that, and Ponyboy and Johnny….what about us? You think if it was one of us that all this would be happening? Would we get a story in the newspaper that one of us turned up dead? Would we get cops floating in and out of your side of town, hauling everyone in that could have possibly done it? Yeah right…whoever did it would probably get a fucking medal."

Cherry looked at him hard and determined; she wasn't going to let his words affect her, no matter how true they were. "…Its not like that."

"Are you so sure?" Darry wondered, intervening before Dally had a chance to blow up at her again. "What do you care anyway…you're a soc…why would you waste your time caring about what happens to them?"

"I was there… my boyfriend was mad that the boys were walking us home…ask Two-Bit and Melody! They were there!" She insisted, nodding to the two keeping quiet the entire time. Cherry sighed. "We went home with Bob and Randy because I wanted to avoid this..I didn't want a fight between them and the boys."

"A soc that doesn't want to fight?" A member of Shepard's outfit wondered.

"Hey shut up, man!" Two-Bit called out.

"This whole thing is my fault. If I wasn't walking home with them…it never would have happened." Cherry admitted quietly. "I know that…and I wanna make it right."

"How do you suppose you do that?" Soda wondered, walking over to his brother. "No matter how hard you want to, you can't change what's happened. Your boyfriend is dead, my brother and friend are out there somewhere and you want to make it right."

The younger girl though for a moment, wondering whether or not it would make a difference for her to offer what she was about to tell them. She really had nothing to lose.

"I'll testify in court. Ponyboy and Johnny…they didn't deserve what happened. Bob, he… it was self defence. Johnny did it in self defence. I'll tell the judge that." She told them, without a flicker of doubt or hesitation.

"Yeah right, she'll turn it over the first chance she gets." Steve muttered.

"No I won't!" Cherry insisted.

"What do you get out of it?" Kathy wondered speaking up for the first time. "You can't just be doing this for no reason. What do you want out of it?"

"What? Nothing! I just want things to be right. That's all, I swear." Cherry promised.

"Why? Tell us why we should believe you." Darry insisted. Cherry sighed to herself. She knew this wasn't going to be easy, and she didn't blame them all for not believing her, but she was honestly running out of ways to try and convince them.

"Because it's the truth." she insisted tiredly.

"Heard that one before…" Tim pointed out. The girl sighed again, running her hands through her hair as she tried one last appeal. If this didn't work, she might as well just pack up and go back home.

"Look, I know I'm not your favourite person…"

"Understatement of the fucking century sweetheart." Dally called out. Cherry glared at him, but it didn't trouble her. She was going to say her piece and that was final.

"Look, I'm here because it's what's right, and I want to prove that." She told them. Everyone looked t her in complete disbelief. It was almost like she had grown another head or something.

"What makes you think we would give you the chance?" Tim wondered. Everyone hushed, waiting to hear what her response would be. Cherry was stuck, trying to figure out a logical and believable reason that she hadn't already given them.

"…Let her talk."

Everyone turned at the sound, completely surprised to find that the familiar voice had spoken at all. Melody walked away from her twin's side towards the front of the group, standing now between Cherry and the gangs. The others looked at her as if she had condemned them all to death right then and there. Dally for one, looked the most shocked.

"What?" he asked, voicing everyone else's thoughts.

"I said let her talk." Mel repeated, not taking her eyes off Cherry. Mumbles were heard throughout the group, not believing the sudden turn of events.

"Why should we?" Tim wondered coldly. Mel spun around to face him; her eyes daring him not to mess with her.

"Because I want to hear what she has to say, got it?" She asked. Melody may have been a girl, definitely not the toughest, or the biggest, but the others knew better than to go against her regarding something like this. Those who didn't found out why the hard way. It was simple; you don't mess with Melody Curtis, particularly when her family was involved.

When nobody objected, Mel turned around to face the girl once more. she wasn't going to make this easy for her, that was for sure. But if she truly wanted to help, who were they to refuse and turn her away?

"I want this to turn out right." Cherry repeated.

"How do you suggest to do that?" Mel wondered, crossing her arms. "None of us can even step out our front doors without wondering whether or not we're gonna be jumped today. What can you do about it?"

"I can't stop them from wanting to get back at you…but I can tell you what they're planning. I'll find out what they organise before the rumble and report back to you." Cherry offered.

"Yeah right."

"You'd go against your friends to tell us that?" Mel asked her, ignoring Steve's little outburst. Cherry nodded her head.

"Yeah."

"…Why?" She asked. Again, Cherry shrugged.

"Why not? I can pass on anything you need to tell them, and vice versa. Then there's no tricks, no interference before the rumble. Both sides go in exactly the same." She said.

Melody had to admit, the thought sounded appealing. The chance for both sides to go in without tricks, both equal to the fight? In these circumstances, it really didn't get much better than that.

"Mel, you can't be serious about considering…" Dally started. But Mel wasn't paying attention to him. Instead, she turned to face her brother.

"What do you think, Darry?" She asked him. As the leader of their gang, and head of the family, his decision was the one that counted. Cherry could keep trying to convince them over and over and, even if Melody, or anyone else for that matter, thought it was a good idea, it was moot point unless they had Darry behind it,

The eldest Curtis thought about it silently, knowing his decision could very well affect the lives of not only his family and friends, but their buddies and allies and pretty much majority of those on their side of town.

"…it would be a level playing field to a point." He said, nodding softly. Melody nodded and turned to Shepard, who was still standing with arms folded over his chest, looking pissed as ever.

"Tim?"

"I still don't like it."

"You rarely do." Mel countered. "Does it seem fair?"

Tim muttered something under his breath before shrugging. "…I guess."

Melody nodded and turned to face Cherry once more. The redhead was still looking scared out of her mind, though part of that fear had been replace with hopefulness.

"Looks like you can help out after all." Mel told her. She looked behind her over to her twin, who was watching her with a small smile. Mel nodded towards Cherry and her brother nodded in return, walking over to go and talk to their new ally. Without so much as another word to anyone, Mel slipped past the group and headed back over to the couches.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"I'm proud of the way you handled that." Darry said as he came and sat down beside his sister. Melody shrugged and continued to pull at the shredded fabric of the couch.

"It wasn't anything." She said. "nothing you wouldn't have done."

"You so sure about that?" Darry asked. Mel didn't say anything as she continued to absently pick at the couch arm. She looked up across the lot and saw Cherry talking with Sodapop, Kathy and Two-Bit. Dally was standing not too far away from them, listening but looking as though he wasn't happy about it.

"I'm a terrible brother." Darry said suddenly, pulling Mel out of her thoughts. She turned to face him, not sure what brought on the sudden and very wrong admission.

"What are you talking about? You are not." She insisted. Darry smiled weakly but shook his head.

"Yeah, I am. I haven't been paying much attention to anyone lately."

"So you've been working, that doesn't exactly make you a terrible brother, Dar." Mel said.

"I could never understand the kid…not like you or Soda could." He said, more to himself than to her. "You didn't see it that night, Mel…you didn't see his face."

"You made a mistake, Darry…everyone does it. I've known you for nearly 18 years. Yeah okay, you've made mistakes like this before, but don't you think an entire lifetime is enough to know you're not a terrible brother?" Mel wondered, putting her hand on his shoulder.

Darry sighed and let his head fall. Mel could see his body start to shake and even without looking at him, she knew he was beating himself up about everything. Mel rested her head on his shoulder, rubbing his back reassuringly.

"I'm sorry Mel…I'm so sorry…" he said.

"Don't you dare apologise anymore." She told him sternly. "all this is gonna work out. We will find him…both of them. But I need you to be strong. It's bad enough you've got me and Soda freaking out all the time…we can't have you doing it too. We need our Superman…and I need my big brother."

It took him a little while but finally, Darry sat up with his head held up once more. He sighed and sat with his arms resting on his knees, looking out at the others in the lot.

"I don't even think I've asked if you were okay after what happened with Dal." He said quietly. Mel sighed and looked out at the group, seeing Dal talking with Kathy about something or other on the other side of the lot.

"I did what had to be done." She said, completely void of all emotion. She couldn't trust herself to let her guard down, not after she was trying to be so strong. She heard her brother sigh from beside her, even though she didn't take her eyes off her ex-boyfriend.

"I know you probably don't wanna hear this. But I only say it cause I want what's best for you." Darry said. Hearing that, Mel could only imagine what was about to be said. "Maybe...maybe this is what's best. I like Dal. Yeah sure he's a kid but he's a good buddy. But Mel...you could do a lot better than Dallas Winston. I know I tried to keep my mouth shut and all...but I just don't wanna see you hurt again, babygirl."

"I always knew you had a problem with us, Darry." Mel said quietly, smiling softly but not letting it reach her lips fully.

"It's not that, Mel. I know you don't wanna be stuck here the rest of your life. All that time he wasted with you waiting for him when he went off? You need someone who is sure they can give you the life you deserve." Darry said, hoping he was making sense to her.

Mel stayed silent. She understood what he was trying to tell her. Hell, she believed some of it too. But even though that was the case, it didn't stop her heart from telling her something different.

"Do you remember that look Daddy had, when he'd come home from work and just stop and look at Mama? Just...looking at her?" Mel asked her brother. " I always wanted someone to look at me like that...and at one point Dally did. Well..at least I thought he did."

"You'll find that again, babygirl." Darry assured her.

"And that smile Mama had when Daddy would pick her fresh flowers, or remember to stay behind, being late for work to kiss her goodbye every morning...well, I thought I had that for him. i thought it was the real thing, Darry. despite it all...I thought it was real."

Darry remained silent after his sister's confession. He knew that there wasn't anything else he could possibly say to her after that. He simply sighed and gave her had a reassuring squeeze before he got up off the couch and headed back over to the group.

Mel sat silent and alone on the couch, watching the others from afar. A few of Shepard's gang had left, leaving her gang, a few of Shepard's, Tim and Cherry. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kathy sand Dal talking. She couldn't even call her friend a traitor for anything stupid like that, knowing that the two were best friends despite it all. She noticed Kathy say something to him before Dal nodded and headed off, disappearing into the night.

Managing to tear her eyes away from him, she looked over at the group once again. So now they had a spy to tell them what the Socs would be planning leading up to the Rumble. Melody couldn't deny the terrible feeling she still had in the pit of her stomach. But surely with all this, there had to be some good that was going to come out of it…right?


End file.
